Description given with photo: "Float Hughes Flying Boat, San Pedro, Calif.: Water pours into Howard Hughes' mammoth drydock as the millionaire plane builder prepares to float his giant plywood flying boat on November 1st. The nose of the 200-ton craft can be seen at right. In upper right are three of the four right wind engines. Credit Line (ACME) 11/04/47."

Howard Hughes with his flight engineer and Dave Evans, radio operator, preparing for the Flying Boat's taxi test the next day. The group is shown on the flight deck of the 24,000 horsepower craft. The Flying Boat was assembled on Terminal Island in the Los Angeles Harbor.

The black and white view of an unidentified aircraft that is possibly being hoisted above or lowered to the ground.

The black and white view of an unidentified aircraft that is possibly being hoisted above or lowered to the ground.

A view of Howard Hughes being escorted by Grover Whalen and several guards at Floyd Bennett Airfield.

Description given with photo: "Flying Boat Takes Off - Pedro, Calif. : With all eight motors roaring, Howard Hughes' giant plywood flying boat skims across the surface of Los Angeles harbor at 95 miles per hour on November 2nd. Shortly afterward, Hughes lifted the plane into the air for an unscheduled half-mile flight. Credit Line (ACME) 11/04/47."

Howard Hughes descending a stairway from Constellation 069, at the Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. in 1944.