Howard Hughes’ H-1 Racer - Decades TV Network

Never satisfied, Howard Hughes’ insatiable need to outperform everyone, including himself, is what ultimately led him to break record after record. One of which he broke on September 13, 1935, using his first plane, the H-1 Racer.

[davidrudolph]

The most remarkable man of the 20th century!

[calsurflance]

I was friends with Jimmy Doolittle’s son,
Col. John Doolittle.
He told me how much his Dad thought of Howard Hughes. They were friends and colleagues.He said the media blew up and dwelled on Hughes eccentricities caused in part by the pain killers he was on in his later years.
Both men were amazing innovators in aviation. Much of the technology we still use in aviation today was initially developed by Jimmy Doolittle, Howard Hughes, and a handful of
Aviation innovative pioneers.👍

[jslade]

There'll never be another Howard Hughes. Brilliant innovative a true self-taught engineer.

[elaineparker]

I had the pleasure of working for HAC at Ground Systems Group for 34 years - also got to tour the Spruce Goose. It was a wonderful experience and a great company

[samj]

352mph in 1935. impressive. nice to have zero financial limitations.

[chefduane]

I worked for Hughes Aircraft '77-'85 in Corporate Telecommunications. Walked some of the halls and was in some of the offices that HH occupied. Was in the Spruce Goose a few times when it was under the dome in Long Beach. Never met him, tho. By that time he was already stark raving mad lunatic bonkers living atop the Desert Inn and saving his own urine. Helluva' airplane designer tho.

[georgekarline]

America needs more people like this....

[Machia]

Left out his 7 1/2 hour dash from CA to NJ in 1937.

[joevald]

Howard Hughes was a genius in his time and that may people Were jealous around him the only thing that hurt him was after his accident the painkillers diminishes thinking

[tomfey]

Unfortunately they used flying footage of Hughes' Northrop Gamma (3 bade prop; giant wheel pants) instead of the H-1.

[elosogonzalez]

Many of the shots were not of the Hughes H-1 but of the fixed wheel Northrup Gamma. Howard was a great aviator. Would love to have met him.

[johnheinrich]

Hughe’s grave at Glenwood cemetery in Houston Tx is the only one there that is completely fenced around with tall iron post, so you can still see the gravesite, but can’t access the grave. He’s buried there with his parents.

[richardbrowne]

I visited Howard's horse farm in Ocala, Fl.. Nice. Howard was a great man until the accident made him nuts!

[joekurtz]

Had a family member who worked at Hughes, although we saw each other at family holidays, we never really knew what he did. Because of his security clearance, he could never tell, after all, the Cold war existed.

It's too bad Hughes lost his marbles, but he had a pretty good run while it lasted.

[aarondavis]

Howard Hughes was a legend in his own time, imagine what he'd do with today's technology, today we have Elon Musk, another great mind..he's not as great as Howard yet

[crimony]

I always thought Hughes was an eccentric billionaire. Then I saw where he bequeathed his inherited assets to set up a medical research institute (now HHMI) in a will he filed -- at age 19. That is remarkable.

[michaelemory]

The first transcontinental record with a Northrop Gamma was set by Frank Hawks. Hughes later set his record in a modified Northrop Gamma. Whether you look for ‘Hughes Racer’ or ‘Silver Bullet’, you see very much a modified Northrop plane. Credit should be given.
The XB - 11 by Hughes was impressive, briefly. Even that design seems to owe much to Kelly Johnson. Howard Hughes did move things forward, and received much damnation.

[jackthompson-lrhc]

The lead photo before opening the video isn't the H-1, rather a Northrop Gamma. Let's get it right !

[tylerresler]

Alot of this footage is of the Northrop Gamma, not the H1 Racer