North American Aviation
NA-50 Torito
The NA‑50, nicknamed “Torito,” was a single‑engine, low‑wing monoplane developed by North American Aviation in the late 1930s for the Mexican Air Force. Conceived as a lightweight fighter‑trainer, the aircraft first flew in 1939 and entered limited production the following year. Its airframe was based on the NA‑35 prototype, but the NA‑50 featured a more powerful Pratt & Whitney R‑1830‑C5G radial engine delivering 800 hp, a fully enclosed cockpit, and retractable main landing gear. With a maximum speed of approximately 350 km/h (217 mph), a service ceiling of 9,000 m, and an armament of two 7.62 mm machine guns, the Torito could perform both advanced training and limited combat duties.
Only twelve units were built, yet the NA‑50’s design directly influenced North American’s later NA‑64 “San Antonio” trainer and provided valuable experience that shaped the company’s wartime production of the P‑51 Mustang. In Mexican aviation history, the Torito represented the nation’s first domestically operated fighter‑type aircraft, symbolizing a step toward air‑force modernization and fostering technical collaboration between Mexico and the United States on the eve of World War II.
Only twelve units were built, yet the NA‑50’s design directly influenced North American’s later NA‑64 “San Antonio” trainer and provided valuable experience that shaped the company’s wartime production of the P‑51 Mustang. In Mexican aviation history, the Torito represented the nation’s first domestically operated fighter‑type aircraft, symbolizing a step toward air‑force modernization and fostering technical collaboration between Mexico and the United States on the eve of World War II.