Description given with photo: "Howard Hughes In Washington, Washington: In good humor and wearing his battered "good luck" felt hat that he wore in his recent plane crash, plane manufacturer, Howard Hughes leaves national airport following his overnight flight from the west coast to appear before the Senate War Investigating Sub-committee today (Aug. 6). Credit (ACME)."
Transcribed from attached press release: "HUGHES READY FOR TAKE-OFF IN SECOND XF-11 FLIGHT. CULVER CITY, Calif., April 5. Howard Hughes, famed flier-industrialist, recovered from injuries following crash last July 7, is shown here just before he test-piloted today a duplicate of the plane in which he nearly lost his life. He designed and built the plane, designated XF-11, and one of the world's fastest photo-reconnaissance ships, for the Army Air Forces in conjunction with the Air Materiel Command engineers."