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.
Typed onto a piece of paper attached to the image: "Fete, Hughes, and crew at Luncheon. Left to right at the head of the table are Harry P. Connor, navigator of the Hughes plane, Grover Whalen, Howard hughes, Mayor Fiorello Laguardia of New York City, Thomas Thurlow, Navigator, Richard Stoddart, radio engineer, and Edward Lund, flight engineer. At the bottom center of the photo is William Randolph Hearst, Jr., son of the publisher. 7/15/38"