Materials contain photographs of the HK-1 Hercules, otherwise known as the "Spruce Goose" or the "Flying Boat," from 1942 to 1947. The photographs primarily depict the construction, transportation, and storage of the plane, but also include photographs of 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 Professional and Aeronautical Photographs
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Collection Number: PH-00321 Collection Name: Howard Hughes Professional and Aeronautical Photographs Box/Folder: N/A
Site plan for the 1985 construction of the Showboat Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Parchment copy. Site Name: Showboat Hotel and Casino (Atlantic City) Address: 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ
On February 23, 1977, collector Mark E. French interviewed local farmer, Francis E. Hughes (born March 9th, 1917 in Mesquite, Nevada) in his home in Mesquite, Nevada. This interview offers an overview of the general lifestyle and culture in Mesquite. Mr. Hughes mother, Orilla Leavitt, was born in Bunkerville, Nevada. Members of Mr. Hughes’s family were amongst the first settlers in the Mesquite area.