Editing Howard Hughes (section)

===Aviation and aerospace===
[[File:Howard Hughes.jpg|thumb|Hughes with his [[Boeing 100]] in the 1940s]]

Another portion of Hughes' commercial interests involved aviation, airlines, and the aerospace and defense industries. A lifelong aircraft enthusiast and pilot, Hughes survived four airplane accidents: one in a [[Thomas-Morse Scout]] while filming ''Hell's Angels'', one while setting the airspeed record in the Hughes Racer, one at Lake Mead in 1943, and the near-fatal crash of the [[Hughes XF-11]] in 1946. At Rogers Airport in Los Angeles, he learned to fly from pioneer aviators, including [[Moye Stephens]] and J.B. Alexander. He set many world records and commissioned the construction of custom aircraft for himself while heading [[Hughes Aircraft]] at the [[Grand Central Airport (United States)|airport in Glendale]], CA. Operating from there, the most technologically important aircraft he commissioned was the [[Hughes H-1 Racer]]. On September 13, 1935, Hughes, flying the H-1, set the landplane [[Flight airspeed record|airspeed record]] of {{convert|352|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} over his test course near [[Santa Ana, California]] ([[Giuseppe Motta (aviator)|Giuseppe Motta]] reaching 362&nbsp;mph in 1929 and [[George Stainforth]] reached 407.5&nbsp;mph in 1931, both in seaplanes). This marked the last time in history that an aircraft built by a private individual set the world airspeed record. A year and a half later, on January 19, 1937, flying the same H-1 Racer fitted with longer wings, Hughes set a new [[transcontinental airspeed record]] by flying non-stop from Los Angeles to Newark in seven hours, 28 minutes, and 25 seconds (beating his own previous record of nine hours, 27 minutes). His average ground-speed over the flight was {{convert|322|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>Onkst, David H. [http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/Hughes/EX28.htm "Howard R. Hughes Jr. – The Record Setter."] ''U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission'', 2003. Retrieved: January 5, 2008.</ref><ref name=Noah/>{{rp|69–72, 131–135}}

The H-1 Racer featured a number of design innovations: it had retractable landing gear (as [[Boeing Monomail]] had five years before), and all rivets and joints set flush into the body of the aircraft to reduce drag. The H-1 Racer is thought to have influenced the design of a number of [[World War II]] fighters such as the [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero]], [[Focke-Wulf Fw 190]], and [[F8F Bearcat]],<ref>[http://www.wrightools.com/hughes/h1_history.htm "Aviator Howard Hughes H-1 Racer History."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050830082007/http://www.wrightools.com/hughes/h1_history.htm |date=August 30, 2005}} ''wrightools.com''. Retrieved: January 5, 2008.</ref> although that has never been reliably confirmed. In 1975 the H-1 Racer was donated to the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|131–135}}

====Hughes Aircraft====
{{Main|Hughes Aircraft}}
[[File:HughesAircraftCo.png|right|thumb|Hughes Aircraft Company logo until 1985]]
In 1932 Hughes founded the [[Hughes Aircraft Company]], a division of Hughes Tool Company, in a rented corner of a [[Lockheed Aircraft Corporation]] hangar in Burbank, California, to build the H-1 racer.

Shortly after founding the company, Hughes used the alias "Charles Howard" to accept a job as a baggage handler for American Airlines. He was soon promoted to co-pilot.
Hughes continued to work for American Airlines until his real identity was discovered.<ref>
Anne Timm.
[https://www.grin.com/document/155425 "A Journey into the Life and Work of Howard Hughes"].
</ref><ref>
Darwin Porter
[https://books.google.com/books?id=zST0HS3memIC "Howard Hughes: Hell's Angel"].
2005.
p. 287.
</ref><ref>[https://www.nationalaviation.org/our-enshrinees/hughes-howard-robard/ "Hughes, Howard Robard: Aviation Pioneer"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721053326/https://www.nationalaviation.org/our-enshrinees/hughes-howard-robard/ |date=July 21, 2020 }}.</ref>

During and after World War II Hughes turned his company into a major defense contractor. The [[Hughes Helicopters]] division started in 1947 when [[helicopter]] manufacturer [[Kellett Autogiro Corporation|Kellett]] sold their latest design to Hughes for production. Hughes Aircraft became a major U.S. aerospace- and defense contractor, manufacturing numerous technology-related products that included spacecraft vehicles, military aircraft, radar systems, electro-optical systems, the first working laser, aircraft computer systems, missile systems, ion-propulsion engines (for space travel), commercial satellites, and other electronics systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hugheshistoric.com/southern-california-aerospace-industry/ |title=Hughes Industrial Historical District |access-date=January 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Joan Lisa |last=Bromberg |title=The Birth of the Laser |journal=Physics Today |date=1 October 1988 |volume=41 |issue=10 |pages=26–33 |doi=10.1063/1.881155 |bibcode=1988PhT....41j..26B |url= https://doi.org/10.1063/1.881155 |access-date=January 13, 2024 |issn=0031-9228 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite journal |first1=James S. |last1=Sovey |first2=Vincent K |last2=Rawlin |first3=Michael J |last3=Patterson |title=Ion Propulsion Development Projects in U.S.: Space Electric Rocket Test I to Deep Space 1 |journal=Journal of Propulsion and Power |date=2001 |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=517–526 |doi=10.2514/2.5806 |url=https://doi.org/10.2514/2.5806|hdl=2060/20010093217 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

In 1948 Hughes created a new division of Hughes Aircraft: the [[Hughes Aerospace#Hughes Aerospace Group|Hughes Aerospace]] Group. The Hughes Space and Communications Group and the Hughes Space Systems Division were later spun off in 1948 to form their own divisions and ultimately became the [[Hughes Space and Communications Company#Hughes Space and Communications Group|Hughes Space and Communications Company]] in 1961. In 1953 Howard Hughes gave all his stock in the Hughes Aircraft Company to the newly formed Howard Hughes Medical Institute, thereby turning the aerospace and defense contractor into a tax-exempt charitable organization. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute sold Hughes Aircraft in 1985 to General Motors for $5.2 billion. In 1997 General Motors sold Hughes Aircraft to [[Raytheon]] and in 2000, sold Hughes Space & Communications to Boeing. A combination of Boeing, GM, and [[Raytheon]] acquired the [[Hughes Research Laboratories]], which focused on advanced developments in microelectronics, information & systems sciences, materials, sensors, and photonics; their work-space spans from basic research to product delivery. It has particularly emphasized capabilities in high-performance integrated circuits, high-power lasers, antennas, networking, and smart materials.

====Round-the-world flight====
On July 14, 1938, Hughes set another record by completing a flight around the world in just 91 hours (three days, 19 hours, 17 minutes),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/15/wild-welcome-for-howard-hughes-after-world-record-flight-1938 |title=Wild welcome for Howard Hughes after world record flight – archive, 1938 |work=The Guardian |date=July 15, 2020 |access-date=August 25, 2021 }}</ref> beating the previous record of 186 hours (seven days, 18 hours, 49 minutes) set in 1933 by [[Wiley Post]] in a single-engine [[Lockheed Vega]] by almost four days. Hughes returned home ahead of photographs of his flight. Taking off from New York City, Hughes continued to Paris, Moscow, [[Omsk]], [[Yakutsk]], [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]], and [[Minneapolis]], then returning to New York City. For this flight he flew a [[Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra|Lockheed 14 Super Electra]] (NX18973, a twin-engine transport with a crew of four) fitted with the latest radio and navigational equipment. Harry Connor was the co-pilot, Thomas Thurlow the navigator, Richard Stoddart the engineer, and Ed Lund the mechanic. Hughes wanted the flight to be a triumph of U.S. aviation technology, illustrating that safe, long-distance air travel was possible. Albert Lodwick of [[Mystic, Iowa]], provided organizational skills as the [[Flight operations quality assurance|flight operations]] manager.<ref>{{cite web |title=Around the World in 91 Hours |url=http://www.historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HM1P4Z_around-the-world-in-91-hours_Centerville-IA.html |work=Historical Marker Project website |access-date=July 27, 2016}}</ref> While Hughes had previously been relatively obscure despite his wealth, better known for dating [[Katharine Hepburn]], New York City now gave him a [[ticker-tape parade]] in the [[Canyon of Heroes]].<ref name="life19380725">[https://books.google.com/books?id=n08EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9 "A Rich Young Texan with a Poet's Face Gets Hero's Welcome on World Flight."] ''Life'', July 25, 1938, pp. 9–11, 14. Retrieved: October 14, 2012.</ref><ref name=Noah/>{{rp|136–139}} Hughes and his crew were awarded the 1938 [[Collier Trophy]] for flying around the world in record time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36620777/the_marion_county_news/|title=Howard Hughes is Winner of Collier Trophy Award|newspaper=The Marion County News|location=Hamilton, Alabama|date=November 23, 1939|page=3|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="collier-1930-1939-winners">{{cite web |title=collier-1930-1939-winners |url=https://naa.aero/awards/awards-and-trophies/collier-trophy/collier-1930-1939-winners |website=NAA.aero |publisher=NAA |access-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-date=October 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027181404/https://naa.aero/awards/awards-and-trophies/collier-trophy/collier-1930-1939-winners |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was awarded the [[Harmon Trophy]] in 1936<ref name="nyt1936">[https://www.nytimes.com/1937/03/01/archives/air-prize-for-hughes-jean-batten-honored-american-crosscountry.html Air Prize for Hughes; Jean Batten Honored; American Cross-Country Flier and New Zealand Girl Get Harmon Trophies], ''New York Times'', March 1, 1937.</ref> and 1938 for the record-breaking global circumnavigation.<ref name="nyt1938">[https://www.nytimes.com/1939/03/25/archives/hughes-is-named-aviation-champion-roundtheworld-flier-gets-harmon.html "Hughes is Named Aviation Champion; Round-the-World Flier Gets Harmon Trophy – Olds of Army Wins Medal and Diploma", ''New York Times'', March 25, 1939].</ref>

In 1938 the [[William P. Hobby Airport]] in [[Houston|Houston, Texas]]—known at the time as Houston Municipal Airport—was renamed after Hughes, but the name was changed back due to public outrage over naming the airport after a living person. Hughes also had a role in the financing of the [[Boeing 307 Stratoliner]] for TWA, and the design and financing of the [[Lockheed L-049 Constellation]].<ref name=Rumerman>Rumerman, Judy. [http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Aerospace/Hughes/Aero44.htm "Hughes Aircraft."] ''centennialofflight.net'', 2003. Retrieved: August 5, 2008.</ref>

Other aviator awards include: the Bibesco Cup of the [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]] in 1938, the [[Octave Chanute Award]] in 1940, and a special [[Congressional Gold Medal]] in 1939 "in recognition of the achievements of Howard Hughes in advancing the science of aviation and thus bringing great credit to his country throughout the world".<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fPuthOkm6hIC&dq=%22in+recognition+of+the+achievements+of+Howard+Hughes+in+advancing+the+science+of+aviation+and+thus+bringing+great+credit+to+his+country+throughout+the+world%22&pg=PA43 | title=Congressional Gold Medals 1776-2002 | first1=Stephen W. | last1=Stathis | publisher=Novinka Books | year=2003 | page=43 | isbn=1-59033-514-7 | accessdate=7 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 21, 2022 |title=Did You Know... Customs Furthered a Feat of Flight? |url=https://www.cbp.gov/about/history/did-you-know/feat-flight |access-date=March 3, 2023 |website=U.S. Customs and Border Protection}}</ref>

President [[Harry S. Truman]] sent the Congressional medal to Hughes after the F-11 crash. After his around-the-world flight, Hughes had declined to go to the White House to collect it.<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|196}}

====Hughes D-2====
{{Main|Hughes D-2}}
Development of the D-2 began around 1937, but little is known about its early gestation because Hughes' archives on the aircraft have not been made public. Aircraft historian René Francillon speculates that Hughes designed the aircraft for another circumnavigation record attempt, but the outbreak of [[World War II]] closed much of the world's airspace and made it difficult to buy aircraft parts without government approval, so he decided to sell the aircraft to the U.S. Army instead. In December 1939, Hughes proposed that the [[United States Army Air Corps]] (USAAC) procure it as a "pursuit type airplane"{{sfn|Francillon|1990|pp=52–53}}  (i.e. a [[fighter aircraft]]). It emerged as a two or three-seat [[twin-boom aircraft]] powered by two [[Pratt & Whitney R-2800]]-49 engines and constructed mostly of [[Duramold]], a type of molded [[plywood]].{{sfn|Francillon|1990|pp=54,56}} The [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF, successor to the USAAC) struggled to define a mission for the D-2, which lacked both the maneuverability of a fighter and the payload of a [[bomber]], and was highly skeptical of the extensive use of plywood; however, the project was kept alive by high-level intervention from General [[Henry H. Arnold]].{{sfn|Francillon|1990|pp=55–56}} The prototype was brought to Harper's Dry Lake in California in great secrecy in 1943 and first flew on June 20 of that year.<ref>[http://aerofiles.com/_h.html "Aircraft Ha to Hy."] ''Aerofiles''. Retrieved: July 31, 2011.</ref>{{sfn|Francillon|1990|pp=56–57}} The initial test flights revealed serious [[flight control]] problems, so the D-2 returned to the hangar for extensive changes to its wings, and Hughes proposed to redesignate it as the D-5.{{sfn|Francillon|1990|pp=56–57}} However, in November 1944, the still-incomplete D-2 was destroyed in a hangar fire reportedly caused by a lightning strike.{{sfn|Francillon|1990|p=58}}

====Fatal crash of the Sikorsky S-43====
[[File:Howard Hughes S-43 Sikorsky.jpg|thumb|The S-43 Sikorsky in [[Brazoria County Airport]] in Texas]]
[[File:Howard R Hughes S-43 Sikorsky.jpg|thumb|[[Brazoria County Airport]] Texas: The S-43 Sikorsky prototype]]
In the spring of 1943 Hughes spent nearly a month in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], test-flying his [[Sikorsky S-43]] amphibious aircraft, practicing touch-and-go landings on [[Lake Mead]] in preparation for flying the [[H-4 Hercules]].<!---(He personally hated the name "Spruce Goose" that the media gave to the aircraft.)---> The weather conditions at the lake during the day were ideal and he enjoyed Las Vegas at night. On May 17, 1943, Hughes flew the Sikorsky from California, carrying two [[United States government role in civil aviation#Civil Aeronautics Authority|Civil Aeronautics Authority]] (CAA) aviation inspectors, two of his employees, and actress [[Ava Gardner]]. Hughes dropped Gardner off in Las Vegas and proceeded to Lake Mead to conduct qualifying tests in the S-43. The test flight did not go well. The Sikorsky crashed into Lake Mead, killing CAA inspector Ceco Cline and Hughes' employee Richard Felt. Hughes suffered a severe gash on the top of his head when he hit the upper control panel and had to be rescued by one of the others on board.<ref>[http://www.aviatorhowardhughes.com/hughes-lasvegas.htm "Hughes: Las Vegas."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328094805/http://www.aviatorhowardhughes.com/hughes-lasvegas.htm |date=March 28, 2012}} ''aviatorhowardhughes.com''. Retrieved: July 31, 2011.</ref> Hughes paid divers $100,000 to raise the aircraft and later spent more than $500,000 restoring it.<ref>Brown and Broeske 1996</ref> Hughes sent the plane to Houston, where it remained for many years.<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|186}}

====Hughes XF-11====
{{Main|Hughes XF-11}}
Acting on a recommendation of the president's son, Colonel [[Elliott Roosevelt (general)|Elliott Roosevelt]], who had become friends with Hughes, in September 1943 General Arnold issued a directive to order 100 of a [[reconnaissance aircraft|reconnaissance]] development of the D-2, known as the F-11 ([[Hughes XF-11|XF-11]] in prototype form).{{sfn|Francillon|1990|p=73}} The project was controversial from the beginning, as the USAAF [[Air Materiel Command]] deeply doubted that Hughes Aircraft could fulfill a contract this large, but Arnold pushed the project forward. Materiel Command demanded a host of major design changes notably including the elimination of Duramold; Hughes, who sought $3.9 million in reimbursement for [[sunk costs]] from the D-2, strenuously objected because this undercut his argument that the XF-11 was a modified D-2 rather than a new design. Protracted negotiations caused months of delays but ultimately yielded few design concessions.{{sfn|Francillon|1990|pp=74–75}} The war ended before the first XF-11 prototype was completed and the F-11 production contract was canceled. The XF-11 emerged in 1946 as an all-metal, twin-boom, three-seat reconnaissance aircraft, substantially larger than the D-2 and powered by two [[Pratt & Whitney R-4360]]-31 engines, each driving a set of [[contra-rotating propellers]].{{sfn|Francillon|1990|pp=74–75}} Only two prototypes were completed; the second one had a conventional single propeller per side.<ref>Parker 2013, pp. 49–51.</ref>{{sfn|Francillon|1990|p=76}}

=====Near-fatal crash of the XF-11=====
[[File:1946-07-11 Hughes Plane Crash.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=3|1946 newsreel]]
Hughes was almost killed on July 7, 1946, while performing the first flight of the XF-11 near Hughes Airfield at [[Culver City, California]]. Hughes extended the test flight well beyond the 45-minute limit decreed by the USAAF, possibly distracted by [[landing gear]] retraction problems.{{sfn|Francillon|1990|pp=75–76}} An oil leak caused one of the contra-rotating propellers to reverse pitch, causing the aircraft to [[Yaw angle|yaw]] sharply and lose altitude rapidly. Hughes attempted to save the aircraft by landing it at the [[Los Angeles Country Club]] golf course, but just seconds before reaching the course, the XF-11 started to drop dramatically and crashed in the [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]] neighborhood surrounding the country club.<ref>[http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/XF-11_crash_site.htm "Crash of the XF-11."] ''check-six.com''. Retrieved: January 5, 2008.</ref><ref>Parker 2013, pp. 50–51.</ref>

When the XF-11 finally came to a halt after destroying three houses, the fuel tanks exploded, setting fire to the aircraft and a nearby home at 808 Whittier Drive owned by Charles E. Meyer.<ref>Barlett and Steele 2004, p. 140.</ref> Hughes managed to pull himself out of the flaming wreckage but lay beside the aircraft until he was rescued by [[USMC|U.S. Marine Corps]] [[Master sergeant#United States|Master Sergeant]] William L. Durkin,<!--Do NOT wikilink Durkin – name has a redirect to this particular section.--> who happened to be in the area visiting friends.<ref>[http://www.sunjournal.com/node/127134 "William Durkin, Howard Hughes crash rescuer, dies."] ''Nation SunJournal'', May 1, 2006. Retrieved: July 4, 2013.</ref> Hughes sustained significant injuries in the crash, including a crushed [[collar bone]], multiple cracked ribs,<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090216001747/http://theaviatorhh.com/xf-11.htm "Howard Hughes: XF-11."]}} ''UNLV Libraries' Howard Hughes Collection''. Retrieved: January 5, 2008.</ref> crushed chest with collapsed left lung, shifting his heart to the right side of the chest cavity, and numerous third-degree [[burn (injury)|burns]].<ref name=oxupff>{{cite news |url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NDBLAAAAIBAJ&pg=1594%2C4326272 |work= Oxnard Press-Courier |location=California |agency=United Press |title=Howard Hughes, millionaire airplane designer, fights for life |date=July 8, 1946 |page=1}}</ref><ref name=huinjc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HlkVAAAAIBAJ&pg=3888%2C1974120 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Hughes injured in plane crash |date=July 8, 1946 |page=1}}</ref><ref name=ffflch>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZixWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4543%2C2174506 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Howard Hughes given "50–50" life chance |date=July 9, 1946 |page=1}}</ref><ref name=lipbyac>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NTBLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5713%2C4358206 |work=Oxnard Press-Courier |location=California |agency=United Press |title= Hughes puts life in peril by activity |date=July 9, 1946 |page=1}}</ref> An oft-told story said that Hughes sent a check to the Marine weekly for the remainder of his life as a sign of gratitude. Noah Dietrich asserted that Hughes did send Durkin $200 a month, but Durkin's daughter denied knowing that he received any money from Hughes.<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|197}}<ref>[http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/05/02/william_durkin_rescued_howard_hughes_in_crash/ "William Durkin; rescued Howard Hughes in crash."]  ''Boston.com,'' May 2, 2006. Retrieved: January 17, 2012.</ref>

Despite his physical injuries, Hughes took pride that his mind was still working. As he lay in his hospital bed, he decided that he did not like the bed's design. He called in plant engineers to design a customized bed, equipped with hot and cold running water, built in six sections, and operated by 30 electric motors, with push-button adjustments.<ref>"Hughes Designs Hospital Bed." ''Associated Press'' wire article, August 14, 1946.</ref> Hughes designed the hospital bed specifically to alleviate the pain caused by moving with severe burn injuries. He never used the bed that he designed.<ref name="Barlett and Steele p. 143">Barlett and Steele 2004, p. 143.</ref> Hughes' doctors considered his recovery almost miraculous.

Many attribute his long-term dependence on [[opioid|opiates]] to his use of [[codeine]] as a painkiller during his convalescence.<ref name=PPM.Tennant>{{cite journal |first=Forest |last=Tennant |date=July–August 2007 |title= Howard Hughes & Pseudoaddiction |url=http://pain-topics.org/pdf/HowardHughesPseudoaddict.pdf |journal= Practical Pain Management |publisher= PPM Communications, Inc. |location=Montclair, New Jersey |volume=6 |issue=7 |pages=12–29 |access-date=January 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925191015/http://pain-topics.org/pdf/HowardHughesPseudoaddict.pdf |archive-date=September 25, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Yet Dietrich asserts that Hughes recovered the "hard way—no sleeping pills, no opiates of any kind".<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|195}} The trademark mustache he wore afterward hid a [[scar]] on his upper lip resulting from the accident.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Bill Schwartz (director) |title=Howard Hughes – The Real Aviator |medium=DVD |location=Los Angeles, California |publisher=[[Shout! Factory]] |date=2004}}</ref>

====H-4 Hercules====
{{Main|Hughes H-4 Hercules}}
[[File:H-4 Hercules 2.jpg|thumb|The [[Hughes H-4 Hercules]] with Hughes at the controls]]
The [[War Production Board]], a civilian government agency that supervised war production from 1942 to 1945, originally contracted with [[Henry J. Kaiser|Henry Kaiser]] and Hughes to produce the gigantic HK-1 Hercules flying boat for use during [[World War II]] to transport troops and equipment across the Atlantic as an alternative to seagoing troop transport ships that were vulnerable to German [[U-boat]]s. The military services opposed the project, thinking it would siphon resources from higher-priority programs, but Hughes' powerful allies in Washington, D.C. advocated it. After disputes, Kaiser withdrew from the project and Hughes elected to continue it as the H-4 Hercules. However, the aircraft was not completed until after World War II.<ref>Parker 2013, pp. 49–58.</ref><ref>Herman 2012, pp. 277–280.</ref>

The Hercules was the world's largest flying boat, the largest aircraft made from wood,<ref>[http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/design/q0188.shtml "Largest Plane in the World."] ''Aerospaceweb.org'' . Retrieved: March 18, 2009.</ref> and, at {{convert|319|ft|11|in|m}}, had the longest [[wingspan]] of any aircraft (the next-largest wingspan was about {{convert|310|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}). (The Hercules is no longer the longest nor heaviest aircraft ever built - surpassed by the [[Antonov An-225 Mriya|Antonov An-225 ''Mriya'']] produced in 1985.)

The Hercules flew only once for {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}}, and {{convert|70|ft|m}} above the water, with Hughes at the controls, on November 2, 1947.<ref>{{cite book|last= Parker|first= Dana T.|title= Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II|page= 58|location= Cypress, California|date= 2013|asin= B00HVPF23W}}</ref><ref name=Noah/>{{rp|209–210}}

Critics nicknamed the Hercules the ''Spruce Goose'', but it was actually made largely from [[birch]] (not [[spruce]]) rather than from aluminum, because the contract required that Hughes build the aircraft of "non-[[strategic material]]s". It was built in Hughes' [[Westchester, California]], facility. In 1947, Howard Hughes was summoned to testify before the [[Senate War Investigating Committee]] to explain why the H-4 development had been so troubled, and why $22 million had produced only two prototypes of the XF-11. General Elliott Roosevelt and numerous other USAAF officers were also called to testify in hearings that transfixed the nation during August and November 1947.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} In hotly-disputed testimony over [[Trans World Airlines|TWA]]'s route awards and malfeasance in the defense-acquisition process, Hughes turned the tables on his main interlocutor, Maine senator [[Owen Brewster]], and the hearings were widely interpreted{{by whom|date=August 2020}} as a Hughes victory. After being displayed at the harbor of Long Beach, California, the Hercules was moved to [[McMinnville, Oregon]], where {{as of | 2020 | lc = on}} it features at the [[Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum]].<ref>[http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/the-museum/aircraft-exhibits/the-spruce-goose/ "Spruce Goose."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927201715/http://evergreenmuseum.org/the-museum/aircraft-exhibits/the-spruce-goose/ |date=September 27, 2015 }} ''Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum''. Retrieved: December 14, 2011.</ref><ref name=Noah/>{{rp|198–208}}

On November 4, 2017, the 70th anniversary of the only flight of the H-4 Hercules was celebrated at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum with Hughes' paternal cousin Michael Wesley Summerlin and Brian Palmer Evans, son of Hughes radio technology pioneer Dave Evans, taking their positions in the recreation of a photo that was previously taken of Hughes, Dave Evans, and [[Joe Petrali]] on board the H-4 Hercules.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/events/?eventSearch=1&eventSearchDateFrom=April%2011,%202017&eventSearchDateTo=April%2011,%202018&eventSearchText= |website=Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum |title=McMinnville Oregon over the 65 limit |language=en |access-date=December 27, 2017}}</ref>

====Airlines====
In 1939, at the urging of [[Jack Frye]], president of Transcontinental & Western Airlines, the predecessor of [[Trans World Airlines]] ([[TWA]]), Hughes began to quietly purchase a majority share of TWA stock (78% of stock, to be exact); he took a controlling interest in the airline by 1944.<ref name=":1">Bartlett and Steele 2011, p. 216.</ref> Although he never had an official position with TWA, Hughes handpicked the board of directors, which included [[Noah Dietrich]], and often issued orders directly to airline staff.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=https://www.stlmag.com/TWA-Death-Of-A-Legend/|title= TWA – Death Of A Legend |last=Grant |first=Elaine X. |date=July 28, 2006 |work=St. Louis Magazine |access-date=January 10, 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> Hughes Tool Co. purchased the first six [[Boeing C-75 Stratoliner|Stratoliners]] Boeing manufactured. Hughes used one personally, and he let TWA operate the other five.<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|11,145–148}}
[[File:Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation, Trans World Airlines (TWA) JP7078570.jpg|thumb|Lockheed Constellation in TWA livery]]
Hughes is commonly credited as the driving force behind the [[Lockheed Constellation]] airliner, which Hughes and Frye ordered in 1939 as a long-range replacement for TWA's fleet of [[Boeing 307 Stratoliner]]s. Hughes personally financed TWA's acquisition of 40 Constellations for $18 million, the largest aircraft order in history up to that time. The Constellations were among the highest-performing commercial aircraft of the late 1940s and 1950s and allowed TWA to pioneer nonstop transcontinental service.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://airwaysmag.com/best-of-airways/howard-hughes-twas-constellations/ |title=Howard Hughes and TWA'S Constellations  |date=June 6, 2016 |work=Airways Magazine |access-date=January 10, 2018 |language=en-US |archive-date=January 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111165158/https://airwaysmag.com/best-of-airways/howard-hughes-twas-constellations/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> During World War II Hughes leveraged political connections in Washington to obtain rights for TWA to serve Europe, making it the only U.S. carrier with a combination of domestic and transatlantic routes.<ref name=":1" />

After the announcement of the [[Boeing 707]], Hughes opted to pursue a more advanced jet aircraft for TWA and approached [[Convair]] in late 1954. Convair proposed two concepts to Hughes, but Hughes was unable to decide which concept to adopt, and Convair eventually abandoned its initial jet project after the mockups of the 707 and [[Douglas DC-8]] were unveiled.<ref>Barlett and Steele 2011, pp. 218–219.</ref> Even after competitors such as [[United Airlines]], [[American Airlines]] and [[Pan American World Airways]] had placed large orders for the 707, Hughes only placed eight orders for 707s through the Hughes Tool Company and forbade TWA from using the aircraft.<ref name=":2" /> After finally beginning to reserve 707 orders in 1956, Hughes embarked on a plan to build his own "superior" jet aircraft for TWA, applied for [[Civil Aeronautics Board|CAB]] permission to sell Hughes aircraft to TWA, and began negotiations with the state of Florida to build a manufacturing plant there. However, he abandoned this plan around 1958, and in the interim, negotiated new contracts for 707 and [[Convair 880]] aircraft and engines totaling $400 million.<ref>Barlett and Steele 2011, pp. 219–222.</ref>

The financing of TWA's jet orders precipitated the end of Hughes' relationship with [[Noah Dietrich]], and ultimately Hughes' ouster from control of TWA. Hughes did not have enough cash on hand or future cash flow to pay for the orders and did not immediately seek bank financing. Hughes' refusal to heed Dietrich's financing advice led to a major rift between the two by the end of 1956. Hughes believed that Dietrich wished to have Hughes committed as mentally incompetent, although the evidence of this is inconclusive. Dietrich resigned by telephone in May 1957 after repeated requests for stock options, which Hughes refused to grant, and with no further progress on the jet financing.<ref>Barlett and Steele 2011, pp. 224–228.</ref> As Hughes' mental state worsened, he ordered various tactics to delay payments to Boeing and Convair; his behavior led TWA's banks to insist that he be removed from management as a condition for further financing.<ref name=":2" />

In 1960, Hughes was ultimately forced out of the management of TWA, although he continued to own 78% of the company. In 1961, TWA filed suit against Hughes Tool Company, claiming that the latter had violated antitrust law by using TWA as a captive market for aircraft trading. The claim was largely dependent upon obtaining testimony from Hughes himself. Hughes went into hiding and refused to testify. A default judgment was issued against Hughes Tool Company for $135 million in 1963 but was overturned by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in 1973,<ref>{{cite court |litigants= Hughes Tool Co. v. Trans World Airlines, Inc. |vol= 409|reporter= U.S.|opinion= 363 |pinpoint=  |court= |date= 1973 |url= https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/409/363/|quote= |postscript= }}</ref> on the basis that Hughes was immune from prosecution.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/23/archives/just-about-everybody-versus-howard-hughes-the-strange-case-of-twa.html|title=The strange case of T.W.A. vs. Howard Hughes vs. T.W.A.|last=Brooks|first=John|date=December 23, 1973|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 10, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 1966, Hughes was forced to sell his TWA shares. The sale of his TWA shares brought Hughes $546,549,771.<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|299–300}}

Hughes acquired control of Boston-based [[Northeast Airlines]] in 1962. However, the airline's lucrative route authority between major northeastern cities and Miami was terminated by a CAB decision around the time of the acquisition, and Hughes sold control of the company to a trustee in 1964. Northeast went on to merge with [[Delta Air Lines]] in 1972.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.deltamuseum.org/exhibits/delta-history/family-tree/northeast-airlines|title=Northeast Airlines|website=www.deltamuseum.org|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref>
[[File:Hughes Airwest McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 Silagi-1.jpg|thumb|McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jets in Hughes Airwest livery]]
In 1970, Hughes acquired San Francisco-based Air West and renamed it [[Hughes Airwest]]. Air West had been formed in 1968 by the merger of [[Bonanza Air Lines]], [[Pacific Air Lines]], and [[West Coast Airlines]], all of which operated in the western U.S. By the late 1970s, Hughes Airwest operated an all-jet fleet of [[Boeing 727-200]], [[Douglas DC-9-10]], and [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30]] jetliners serving an extensive route network in the western U.S. with flights to Mexico and western Canada as well.<ref name="departedflights1">{{cite web|url=http://www.departedflights.com/|title=index|website=www.departedflights.com}}</ref> By 1980, the airline's route system reached as far east as Houston ([[Hobby Airport]]) and [[Milwaukee]] with a total of 42 destinations being served.<ref name="departedflights1"/> Hughes Airwest was then acquired by and merged into [[Republic Airlines (1979–1986)]] in late 1980. Republic was subsequently acquired by and merged into [[Northwest Airlines]] which in turn was ultimately merged into [[Delta Air Lines]] in 2008.