Flying for Fun
D.B. Mathews
909 N. Maize Rd., Townhouse 734, Wichita KS 67212
THE HUGHES H-1
It would be superfluous and redundant to review Howard Hughes' history here. Among his numerous interests was flying. He caught the speed‑record bug in 1932 by flying a highly modified Army pursuit airplane to several records and winning several races.
He had the necessary funds to bankroll his dream to be the best, so he hired Harold Palmer and Max Harlow to head a design and construction team to develop the fastest airplane in the world.
On September 13, 1935, Howard Hughes piloted the H-1 to an absolute speed record of 352 mph in a straight line. This record was preceded on July 28 of the same year by a coast-to-coast flight (Burbank, California, to Newark, New Jersey) of 7 hours, 28 minutes, with no stops.
The H-1 had a set of short-span wings used on the speed dashes and a longer set used for the transcontinental flights. The aircraft also featured the first set of hydraulic (not mechanical or electrical) retracts used on a land airplane. During takeoffs and landings the side windows were lowered (as was later seen on the P-38), the windscreen slid forward, and the seat rose to allow for better forward visibility.
As was typical of so many of Howard Hughes' aircraft, the H-1 was then placed in a hangar where it languished, unflown, until it was donated to the Smithsonian in 1975. I believe the Spruce Goose flying boat was removed from storage at the same time.
For airplane lovers, isn't it fortunate that these rare and incredibly beautiful aircraft were stored all those years rather than being flown to death, cannibalized for other projects, or damaged in some sort of operational accident as befell so many airplanes of that era?
I found a few pieces of trivia concerning Howard Hughes and his industrial giant on the Internet. In 1985 General Motors bought the Hughes Aircraft Company from the estate for $5 billion. Those funds were used to establish and endow the Hughes Medical Institute, which has become the world's largest privately endowed medical-research organization.
The XF-11
In addition to the flying boat, Hughes Aircraft had a government contract to develop a high‑altitude, high‑speed photo‑reconnaissance aircraft: the XF-11. This was a twin radial‑engined, pod‑and‑boom design with an attractive outline.
Howard Hughes piloted the prototype on July 7, 1946, and experienced a propeller pitch reversal in flight. He crashed the aircraft into some homes, killing several on the ground and severely injuring himself. Hughes suffered numerous broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a severely broken left arm, and third‑degree burns over large portions of his body. He was hospitalized for nine months following the accident but did survive his injuries. Or did he?
The following is purely speculation and can never be proven or disproven. I was taught in pharmacology that those poor souls who are addicted to opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin, etc.) develop hypersensitive skin and hair; become irrational, reclusive, delusional, and incredibly paranoid; and eventually destroy their kidneys. Factor that into the horrendous crash injuries that Howard Hughes suffered and his eccentricities in later life, and you see what you might get.
What a Waste
Since many of this column's readers also have an abiding interest in full‑scale aviation and read some of the full‑scale magazines, some of you may be aware of Jim Wright's (Cottage Grove, Oregon) efforts in recreating a Hughes H-1 racer. Jim co‑owned Wright Machine Tools in Cottage Grove. He had a passion for high‑speed flight which had its roots in his first airplane — a Taylorcraft — followed by a Bonanza and then a Glasair. He routinely took the Glasair to speeds approaching 300 mph and took great delight in its vertical performance.
This fascination with speed, coupled with Jim's extremely high level of skill with metal fabrication, led him to the massive undertaking of reproducing the 1935 Hughes H-1 racer. As you can see in photos of his completed aircraft, the workmanship is incredible; the sheet metal is formed and riveted so smoothly that the aircraft almost looks molded.
The H-1 had been flown and exhibited at fly‑ins and air shows across the country for more than a year and is therefore frequently photographed. Its connection to the original Howard Hughes‑designed H‑1 created a flood of interest since only a handful had ever seen Howard's plane fly.
Jim wanted to replicate the original design, including the Pratt & Whitney geared R-1536 radial engine (the Twin Wasp Jr.), which developed only about 700 horsepower at 25,000 feet. The power plant is rare because it was developed in the late 1930s to power such low‑volume production aircraft as the Douglas TBF Devastator and the Vought Vindicator. Both encountered what eventually became insurmountable problems with the gearbox, leading to the withdrawal of the few remaining airplanes from military inventory.
The Devastator was flown by the squadron of torpedo bombers that the Japanese completely wiped out in the first wave at the Battle of Midway. It is also the aircraft Ensign Gay crash‑landed during the same battle, forcing him to watch the "show" while bobbing around in a life raft, as glamorized in the movie about the battle.
Jim had flown the H-1 to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the annual fly‑in and was returning to his home base on August 4, 2003. He was on his way to a special event at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon (the location of the Hughes Spruce Goose exhibit), that was to be held the next weekend. Frank Macy (the AJ aircraft guy I wrote about in the November 2003 column) was to be Jim's host and record an interview series with him.
As Jim approached Yellowstone National Park he radioed that he was having engine problems. The engine seized over Old Faithful geyser, forcing him to select an area for a dead‑stick putdown.
Since the Old Faithful area was crowded with tourists — it being August and all — Jim opted to glide northward toward an open area around Midway Geyser Basin. As he reached that area, he saw that it was also crowded with people on the wooden walkways. The Jim Wright Forum contains an eyewitness account of Jim's heroic action in the last moments of his life.
The four members of the Chen family were on the walkways at roughly 6:30 p.m. that day, taking camcorder and still photos, when someone shouted, "Look at that airplane!" They turned to the south to see a blue‑and‑silver airplane with no engine sounds rapidly gliding toward them.
Mrs. Chen was directly under the aircraft when it passed over her at approximately 200 feet altitude. The pilot turned sharply to the right (east) and crashed the right wingtip first with a loud explosion and fire into a creek bed. Jim chose to protect those on the ground by deliberately crashing his aircraft; he must have been quite a guy.
A look at the photos shows that the Hughes H-1 racer has tremendous eye appeal. Its smoothly faired wing/fuselage joints and long, sleek lines combined with its great, long, and widespread undercarriage and distinctly beautiful outlines and contours give the aircraft a sculpted look. Consider what an uproar it must have caused in the press when compared to its contemporaries in 1935.
For nearly 70 years there has been a persistent story that somehow the H-1 had an influence on the Japanese design of the Mitsubishi Zero. Believe what you want, but take an honest look at the photos and try to find any commonalities.
The fuselage and tail feathers are highly polished aluminum, and the wings are a medium blue with yellow letters. This beautiful prototype begs to be modeled; yet few flying models of the Hughes H-1 have ever been published or kitted.
However, all that may be rectified soon. A largish electric‑powered radio‑control version may be published in this magazine, and a 1/8‑scale, glow‑powered version is to be published soon in another magazine. After nearly 70 years, it’s about time!
Apparently the modeling community has made numerous inquiries since there is a page on the Internet devoted to radio‑control enthusiasts. Type "Hughes Racer" in a search engine, such as Google, and follow the threads from there. For three‑views of the long‑ and short‑wing versions and numerous photos, contact Bob Banka at 3114 Yukon Ave., Costa Mesa CA 92626. (He advertises in this magazine.)
It seems a fitting tribute to Jim Wright, who spent many dollars, much effort, and hours of research to produce a beautiful re‑creation, that modelers around the world duplicate his dream aircraft. I would think the family would greatly appreciate photos of miniature re‑creations.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
