The Hughes Laboratory machine shop is devoted to the building of full-scale test models of rock bits, tool and joints and other drilling tools for laboratory and field testing. In connection with the latter, the shop is equipped to manufacture these tools in sufficient quantities to make possible extensive and simultaneous field trials. The machine shop handles a large amount of work for the Research, Product and Metallurgical Engineering departments. This includes building new designs, new mechanisms and new devices for preliminary testing.

A view of the front of Howard Hughes' Hercules in Hawthorne, California.

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"