Howard Hughes (second from the right) standing with other unidentified men near his plane in the hangar at the Grand Central Air Terminal in Los Angeles.
Typed onto a piece of paper attached to the image: "Faved Flyer Visits Washington - Wash, D.C. - Photo shows the crowd pressing forward for a glimpse of Howard Hughes, well known sportsman flyer, as he arrived at Washington Airport in an American Airliner. Photo Credit ACME. 7-21-38. New York Bureau."
Materials contain photographs of the HK-1 Hercules, otherwise known as the "Spruce Goose" or the "Flying Boat," from 1945 to 1947. The photographs primarily depict the construction, transportation, and storage of the plane, but also include the first and only test flight of the HK-1 above Los Angeles Harbor in 1947. Howard Hughes designed the HK-1 as the world's largest plane, capable of transporting large quantities of U.S. military hardware and personnel. In 1947, under the program's new designation H-4 Hercules, Hughes had the plane transported from his factory in Culver City, California to Los Angeles Harbor. On November 2, he piloted the plane during its only test flight. The U.S. Air Force abandoned the controversial project, and Hughes was called to testify before the Truman Committee of the U.S. Senate to justify the use of government funds on a program that never succeeded.
Archival Collection
Howard Hughes Public Relations Photograph Collection
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Collection Number: PH-00373 Collection Name: Howard Hughes Public Relations Photograph Collection Box/Folder: N/A