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Autonetics originated in North American Aviation's
Technical Research Laboratory, a small unit in the Los Angeles Division's
engineering department in 1945. In 1946, the laboratory won an Army Air Force
contract to develop a 175- to-500-mile-range glide missile. The work and the
lab expanded, so that by June 1948, all of the Aerophysics Laboratory was
consolidated at Downey, Calif. The evolution of the Navaho missile program then resulted in the establishment of
Autonetics as a separate division of North American Aviation in 1955, first
located in Anaheim, Calif.
Autonetics included the Navigation Systems
division, designing and producing inertial and stellar-inertial navigation systems
for ships, submarines, missiles, aircraft and space vehicles. Other products
included alignment devices and attitude reference systems for missile
launchers, artillery, orientation, land survey, aircraft and missile-range
ships.
The Autonetics Data Systems division developed
data-processing systems, general-purpose digital computers, ground support
equipment, control systems and telemetry systems. The Electro Sensor Systems
division built multi-function radar systems, armament control computers, data
and information display systems for high performance aircraft, and sensor
equipment.
Autonetics built a portable office computer and
ranging radar for trainers and fighters and was responsible for the guidance
and control system for the Boeing-built Minuteman missiles. The division ultimately
produced the Monica family of microcomputers and the D37B Minuteman II
computer, in which microminiaturization reduced weight by two-thirds.
Milestones
also included the first airplane flight of an inertial autonavigator (XN-1) in
1950 and the first flight of an all-solid-state computer (for the Navaho
guidance system) in 1955.
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