The Hughes Tool Company's hard formation rock bit type R-1 was the engineering marvel on which the Hughes fortune was founded. The bit was invented by Howard Hughes' father.
The first radar antenna produced at Hughes on Sept. 28, 1949 was returned for service three years later at the opening of a new service shop. Pictured from left to right are Charles B. Thornton, S. Ramo, Ray B. Parkhurst, and Harold George