Howard Hughes (second from left) standing in front of the experimental helicopter XH-17, Flying Crane, with others (from left to right): Rea Hopper, Director of the Aeronautical Division, Hughes Aircraft Company; Hughes; Clyde Jones, Director of Engineering, Hughes Tool Company Aeronautical Division; Warren Reed, Assistant; Colonel Carl E. Jackson from Air Research and Development Headquarters, Baltimore; Gale J. Moore, Pilot; possibly Chal Bowen, Flight Engineer/Co-pilot, and an unidentified man, on October 23, 1952.
The black and white view of Howard Hughes exiting his Lockheed 14 aircraft after performing the final landing on the Round the World flight at Floyd Bennett Airport, New York. Description printed on photograph's accompanying sheet of paper: "Telling the world about the record-smashing flight. New York City--Under the giant wing of the huge Lockheed plane, radio men set up their microphones so that Howard Hughes and his gallant crew of four can send a few words of greeting to the world over the air waves after landing at Floyd Bennett Field on their record-smashing flight around the world. Credit Line (ACME) 7/14/38"
Description printed on photograph's accompanying sheet of paper: "Howard Hughes and crew in parade up Broadway after record-breaking world flight. New York, New York."
Transcribed from attachment to photo: "NEW LONG-RANGE PLANE ANNOUNCED CULVER CITY, CALIF., The FX-11 took off today on its first test flight. One of the world's fastest long-range photographic planes, it was designed and built by Howard Hughes in conjunction with Air Materiel Command engineers. It has a wing spread of 101 feet, 4 inches, and is powered by two 3000-horsepower radial engines with eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers. Army officials said it can attain a speed of more than 400 miles per hour and has a ceiling of more than 40,000 feet." 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."