Summary of Significant Accounting Policies- Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended													12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended					0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2012	Nov. 30, 2013 Employees acre	Feb. 28, 2013	Nov. 30, 2012	Aug. 31, 2013	Aug. 31, 2012	Nov. 30, 2013 Segment Employees acre	Nov. 30, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011	Nov. 30, 2013 Company-sponsored [Member]	Nov. 30, 2012 Company-sponsored [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Company-sponsored [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Customer-sponsored [Member]	Nov. 30, 2012 Customer-sponsored [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Customer-sponsored [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 7.125% Second-Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2021 [Member]	Nov. 30, 2012 7.125% Second-Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2021 [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Convertible Subordinated Debentures, Bearing Interest at 4.0625% Maturing in December 2034 [Member]	Nov. 30, 2012 Convertible Subordinated Debentures, Bearing Interest at 4.0625% Maturing in December 2034 [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 2.25% Convertible Subordinated Debentures [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 2.25% Convertible Subordinated Debentures [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Sales [Member] U.S. Government and agencies [Member]	Nov. 30, 2012 Sales [Member] U.S. Government and agencies [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Sales [Member] U.S. Government and agencies [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Minimum [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Maximum [Member]	Jun. 14, 2013 Rocketdyne Business [Member] M	Jul. 31, 2012 Rocketdyne Business [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Rocketdyne Business [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Rocketdyne Business [Member]	Oct. 30, 2013 Rocketdyne Business [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of operating segments							2
Acres of land owned by the company		11,900					11,900
Acquisition, purchase price																												$ 550,000,000
Aggregate consideration, paid in cash							411,200,000																				411,200,000			411,200,000
Number of days required to provide notice period prior to termination date																														5 days
Business acquisition date, Rocketdyne Business																														Jun. 14, 2013
Decrease in initial purchase price																											55,000,000			55,000,000
Expected future acquisition of ownership interest percentage																											50.00%		50.00%	50.00%
Agreement termination date																														Jun. 12, 2015
Number of additional periods for termination extension date																											12
Additional net sales			27,800,000
Date of acquisition																													Jun. 14, 2013		Jun. 14, 2013
Net sales																															319,400,000
Intercompany adjustments in state tax provisions	200,000
Income tax out of period adjustments		300,000		400,000			(400,000)		800,000
Convertible subordinated debentures, bearing interest																7.125%	7.125%	4.0625%	4.0625%	2.25%	2.25%
Fair value adjustment							6,300,000
Percentage of ownership interest in subsidiary		100.00%					100.00%
Percentage of tax benefit to be realized							50.00%
Fair value adjustment							81,900,000
Useful life of property, plant and equipment, net							15 years
Goodwill impairment					0	0
Amortization periods for identifiable intangible assets																									3 years	30 years
Pension liability recorded		1,538,600,000					1,538,600,000																						5,300,000	5,300,000
Estimated retirement period of assets expected to be retired in 15 years							30 years
Percentage of net sales, on contracts							68.00%															22.00%	25.00%	24.00%
Research and development expenses										42,900,000	30,300,000	27,400,000	339,100,000	271,800,000	276,000,000
Foreign currency transaction (losses) and gains							(200,000)	400,000	(300,000)
Manager of company owns, percentage	99.00%	99.00%		99.00%			99.00%	99.00%
Beneficial owner of company's common stock, percentage							5.00%	5.00%
Repurchase of 21/4% Convertible Subordinated Debentures																				$ 15,500,000
Percentage of net sales							10.00%
Percentage of accounts receivable	10.00%			10.00%				10.00%
No. of employees under collective bargaining agreements		5,386					5,386
Percentage of employees under collective bargaining agreements							14.00%
Percentage of likelihood that fair value is less than its carrying amount							50.00%