Howard Hughes taking off in the Lockheed 14 aircraft. Typed on a piece of paper attached to the image: "Howard Hughes' plane taking off from Union Air Terminal July 3, 1938, on first left of round-the-world flight. Released for personal use only. Not to be reprinted or employed commercially without the permission of the undersigned. L. A. Times New Bureau."
Description given with photo: "Before Surprise Flight, Long Beach, Calif.: No longer land-locked, Howard Hughes' 200-ton flying boat, world's largest plane, rides free in Los Angeles harbor after being floated for the first time. The builder and pilot later took the controversial plane into the air for a surprise one-mile flight during taxing trials. Credit (ACME) 11-3-47."