This an edited transcript of an oral history interview of James "Jim" Axtell conducted by Layne Karafantis. Topics covered in the interview include: Lockheed; Skunk Works; Kelly Johnson; World War II; Northridge; Solvang; Burbank; Lulu Belle; P-80; jet development; P-38; Vandenberg Air Force Base; Lockheed Missiles and Space. James “Jim” Axtell moved from Missouri to California as a young man in 1938. With only a high school education, in 1943 he was recruited for his engineering skills to work on the development of America’s first jet at Kelly Johnson’s Skunk Works in Burbank. His wife also worked at Lockheed as an expeditor, but did not know the extent of her husband’s work due to the classified nature of Skunk Works projects. Axtell recalled that many women entered the workforce, as men went off to war. Axtell had his draft deferred until 1944 because he was working on the covert development of the first P-80, the Lulu Belle. Once the plane was constructed, he was drafted by the Army Air Corps to serve during World War II. He and his wife moved to Wright Field in Ohio, where Axtell served in an engineering role. For the remaining seven months of his service, he was stationed at Atsugi, Japan, as part of the American occupation. Axtell and his wife eventually moved back to southern California, and he went back to working at the Skunk Works factory. He worked as a mechanic building parts for missiles and aircraft, and later was appointed a senior group supervisor of the station installing concept parts in the ailerons and control services on the tail of the P-38. He then transferred to the nascent Missiles Division that Lockheed operated at Vandenberg Air Force Base, and moved to Solvang, CA in 1950. He stayed at that position for the majority of his career—totaling 26 years with Lockheed—until finishing his final year working back at the Skunk Works in Burbank. After his retirement, Axtell earned his teaching credentials and taught elementary and secondary school in the Santa Ynez Valley. A more detailed biography is appended to the interview transcript. [Object file name], Aerospace Oral History Project, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
