Materials contain photographs of the Hughes H-1 Racer aircraft from 1935 to 1945. The photographs primarily depict Howard Hughes standing with the plane or in the plane's cockpit. The plane was designed by Glenn Odekirk and built by Hughes Aircraft Company in 1935, the first plane produced by the company. Hughes broke several records in the H-1, including the landplane speed record in 1935. In 1937, Hughes broke his own transcontinental speed record by flying from Los Angeles, California to New York City, New York in 7 hours, 28 minutes. Despite its speed, Hughes was unable to sell the H-1 to the U.S. military.
Archival Collection
Howard Hughes Professional and Aeronautical Photographs
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Collection Number: PH-00321 Collection Name: Howard Hughes Professional and Aeronautical Photographs Box/Folder: N/A
Description printed on photograph's accompanying strip of paper: "Checking damages of plane on arrival at Le Bourget. Le Bourget-- The thoroughness with which he planned the flight and carried it through was still with Howard Hughes when the millionaire flyer and his four companions arrived at Le Bourget, after a record smashing flight across the Atlantic. Hughes is shown here, examining the tail of his plane, just after landing, The tail was damaged slightly. After repairs were made, the fliers took off for Moscow."
L-R: Rea Hopper, Director of the Aeronautical Division, Hughes Aircraft Company; Howard Hughes; Clyde Jones, Director of Engineering, Hughes Tool Company Aeronautical Division; Warren Reed, Assistant; Col. Carl E. Jackson, Air Research and Development Headquarters, Baltimore; Gale J. Moore, pilot; and unidentified pilot in front of the experimental helicopter XH-17 Flying Crane on October 23, 1952. This was one of Hughes' last public appearances.