The black and white, aerial view of Howard Hughes' Lockheed 14 aircraft after performing its final landing on the Round the World flight at Floyd Bennett Airport, New York.

Transcribed from press release attached to back of photo: "NEW PHOTO PLANE TEST-FLOWN CULVER CITY, California, July 7 -- Howard Hughes, who designed and built the new FX-11 reconnaissance plane in conjunction with Air Materiel Command engineers, sits in the pilot's bubble-glass canopy preparing for the first test flight. One of the world's fastest long-range photo planes, the XF-11 can attain a speed of more than 400 miles per hour, Army officials said. It is powered by two 3000-horsepower radial engines with eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers. Outstanding features include a full-span flap, unique eight-camera layout, and exceptionally fast take-off." Transcribed from photo sleeve: "Howard Hughes sits in the cockpit of the XF-11, a reconnaissance plane that Hughes built and designed in conjunction with Air Materiel Command engineers. Hughes is preparing for his first test flight in Culver City, California July 7, 1947.

Description given with photo: "Hull of "Hercules" Starts Journey to Assembly Dock, Culver City, Calif. - The 220-foot-long fuselage of Howard Hughes' gigantic airplane crawls down the highway on truck dollies after leaving the Culver City, Calif., plant. the hull is on its way to the graving dock for assembly at Terminal Island, Calif., 28 miles away. Note size of man on top of hull. NY EUR CAN. Credit (ACME) 6/16/46"

From the Bob Paluzzi Panoramic Photographs

From the Sister Klaryta Antoszewska Photograph Collection (PH-00352). 

From the Sister Klaryta Antoszewska Photograph Collection (PH-00352). 

From the Sister Klaryta Antoszewska Photograph Collection (PH-00352).