Hughes H-1 Racer and Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes is a name that is synonymous with many things, from billionaire playboy to reclusive tycoon, from daring risk-taker to hypochondriac. In the world of aviation, Hughes is known for such films as Hell’s Angels and Jet Pilot, the H-4 Hercules flying boat (better known by its derisive nickname, the "Spruce Goose"), helicopters such as the OH-6 Cayuse, and spacecraft such as the Surveyor landers and the Magellan satellite, but before all that, Howard Hughes’ first venture into creating an aircraft of his own vision was one of the sleekest planes of its day, with wide-reaching impacts on aerospace design. Dubbed the "Hughes Mystery Ship" by the press and known officially as the Hughes 1B Special, it is known to history through later publications as the Hughes H-1 Racer.

Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was, if nothing else, ambitious. His father, Howard Sr., had established the fortune that would fuel his son’s projects through the establishment of the Hughes Tool Company, known for drill bits used in the oil industry. Upon inheriting his father’s company at a young age, Hughes sought out more exciting ventures, becoming a film producer and director who created some of the most elaborate and boundary-pushing films of the day, most notably the classic WWI aviation film Hell’s Angels. But if there was anything Hughes loved more than movies, it was flying. Outside of Hell’s Angels, Hughes first came to prominence in the world of aviation when he won the Sportsman Pilot Free for All during the 1934 All-American Air Meet in Miami, Fla., flying a highly modified Boeing 100 (the civilian version of the P-12/F4B fighter). However, he sought to go much faster, with the intent of breaking the world landplane speed record. After a consultation with engineer Glenn Odekirk in Miami, Hughes was determined to use his finances to build the fastest landplane up to that point.

To achieve this vision, Hughes would delegate the design process to Richard "Dick" Palmer and install Glenn Odekirk as project manager. Palmer’s design team crafted models of airfoils, engine cowlings, and tail surfaces in a rented garage before testing them in the wind tunnel of Palmer’s alma mater, the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) in Pasadena. Palmer assembled a team to build the H-1 in secret at Grand Central Air Terminal in nearby Glendale. The press was aware that Hughes was building a new airplane, but due to the secrecy involved in concealing the details of the aircraft from the public, the press originally dubbed it the "Hughes’ Mystery Ship." Though it was not the first airplane to have this feature, one of the most distinguishing characteristics of the 1B Special were the flush rivets that gave its aluminum fuselage a smooth surface that greatly reduced drag on the airframe.

Its wings, however, were made of wood to save weight and get the best contours to reduce drag. This was achieved through meticulously shaping, sanding, and varnishing the airfoil. The wings were only 24 feet, 5 inches in span. It featured a wide-width retractable landing gear. The plywood skin was sanded until it glistened in the California sun.

On August 17, 1935, the 1B was rolled out for the first time, no doubt stunning all who were lucky enough to see it that day. The plane was then trucked from Glendale to Mines Field (now Los Angeles International Airport). Hughes clambered into the cockpit, fired up the plane’s Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior and they took off into the skies above Los Angeles. During the 15-minute flight, Hughes had difficulties with the constant speed propeller, which prevented him from going faster than 250 mph. It was later discovered upon inspection that the bevel gears in the propeller governor had not been aligned and had chewed each other up. Consequently, a new propeller was ordered from Hamilton-Standard in Connecticut. On August 28, with the new propeller having been flown in and installed, Hughes set off to Union Air Terminal in Burbank (now Hollywood-Burbank Airport). This time, the landing gear would not extend on approach, despite every effort by Hughes to extend the gear. It was only because of the emergency oil valve placed by Odekirk that forced oil from the engine to push the hydraulically-operated gear to the extended position that Hughes did not bail out. The cause of this incident turned out to be the main hydraulic pump, which had blown its gasket. A new one was installed and no further issues came up.

1B Record Setting

After two more test flights out of Burbank on September 9 and 11, Hughes brought the 1B to Santa Ana with only around a total of three hours of flight time, where he intended to break the . . .