A view of Howard Hughes preparing to fly the Air Force test plane.

A view of Howard Hughes preparing to fly the Air Force test plane.

A view of Howard Hughes preparing to fly the Air Force test plane.

Along with the information is this card entitled "Record Breaker." It reads: "First product of Hughes Aircraft Company was Howard Hughes' uniquely designed H-1. Experts said it was farther ahead of its time than any plane built since the Wright brothers'. In 1935 Hughes flew the H-1 to a world's land plane speed record of 352 mph, many years before any military pursuit planes attained this speed, and in 1937 Hughes flew the H-1 from Los Angeles to New York in seven hours, 28 minutes, a record which stood for eight years. The H-1 was the first plane with a smooth metal surface, leading edge air duct intakes, jet thrust exhaust, bell-shaped cowling, drooping ailerons, and the first to have a power-driven retractable landing gear. -0- "

A view of Howard Hughes preparing to fly the Air Force test plane.

A view of Howard Hughes preparing to fly the Air Force test plane.

Howard Hughes, possibly right before or after the April 4, 1947 flight of the second XF-11 prototype.