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86-548: In June 1939, Howard Hughes , the owner of Transcontinental & Western Air (later Trans World Airlines and abbreviated TWA), held a meeting at his Hancock Park residence in California. Jack Frye (then president of TWA) attended along with three executives from the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation which included designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson . During the meeting Hughes expressed his concerns for what he called

172-460: A 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

258-604: 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

344-521: A scar on his upper lip resulting from the accident. The War Production Board , a civilian government agency that supervised war production from 1942-45, originally contracted with 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-boats . The military services opposed

430-647: A Very Long-Range bomber capable of traveling 5,000 miles (8,000 km). Approval was granted on 2 December 1939. Based on the design of the Lockheed L-049 (subsequently adopted by the United States Army Air Forces as the C-69 ), the L-249 never progressed past the design stage, mainly because Boeing had a head start with its Boeing B-29 Superfortress , using the same Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radials as

516-499: A brief stint at The Thacher School , Hughes attended math and aeronautical engineering courses at Caltech . The red-brick house where Hughes lived as a teenager at 3921 Yoakum Blvd., Houston, still stands, now known as Hughes House on the grounds of the University of St. Thomas . His mother Allene died in March 1922 from complications of an ectopic pregnancy . Howard Hughes Sr. died of

602-431: A comedy picture. The Racket (1928) and The Front Page (1931) were also nominated for Academy Awards . Hughes spent $ 3.5 million to make the flying film Hell's Angels (1930). Hell's Angels received one Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography . He produced another hit, Scarface (1932), a production delayed by censors' concern over its violence. The Outlaw premiered in 1943, but

688-653: A directive to order 100 of a reconnaissance development of the D-2, known as the F-11 ( XF-11 in prototype form). 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

774-470: A flight around the world in just 91 hours (three days, 19 hours, 17 minutes), 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 , and Minneapolis , then returning to New York City. For this flight he flew

860-408: A heart attack in 1924. Their deaths apparently inspired Hughes to include the establishment of a medical research laboratory in the will that he signed in 1925 at age 19. Howard Sr.'s will had not been updated since Allene's death, and Hughes Jr. inherited 75% of the family fortune. On his 19th birthday, Hughes was declared an emancipated minor , enabling him to take full control of his life. From

946-458: A month, but Durkin's daughter denied knowing that he received any money from Hughes. 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. Hughes designed

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1032-735: A more refined cosmopolitan city. In addition to the Desert Inn, Hughes would eventually own the Sands , Frontier , Silver Slipper , Castaways , and Landmark and Harold's Club in Reno. During his four years in Las Vegas, Hughes became the largest employer in Nevada. 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

1118-576: A near-fatal plane crash, and increasing deafness . As a film tycoon, Hughes gained fame in Hollywood beginning in the late 1920s, when he produced big-budget and often controversial films such as The Racket (1928), Hell's Angels (1930), and Scarface (1932). He later acquired the RKO Pictures film studio in 1948, recognized then as one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age , although

1204-531: A network of radio stations known as the RKO Radio Network . In 1948, Hughes gained control of RKO, a struggling major Hollywood studio, by acquiring the 929,000 shares owned by Floyd Odlum 's Atlas Corporation , for $ 8,825,000 ($ 107,165,160 in 2023). Within weeks of acquiring the studio, Hughes dismissed 700 employees. Production dwindled to 9 pictures during the first year of Hughes' control; previously RKO had averaged 30 per year. That same year, 1948, he

1290-506: 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. Hughes paid divers $ 100,000 to raise the aircraft and later spent more than $ 500,000 restoring it. Hughes sent the plane to Houston, where it remained for many years. Acting on a recommendation of the president's son, Colonel Elliott Roosevelt , who had become friends with Hughes, in September 1943 General Arnold issued

1376-420: A short film, Swell Hogan , which Graves had written and would star in. Hughes himself produced it. When he screened it, he thought it was a disaster. After hiring a film editor to try to salvage it, he finally ordered that it be destroyed. His next two films, Everybody's Acting (1926) and Two Arabian Knights (1927), achieved financial success; the latter won the first Academy Award for Best Director of

1462-461: A successful inventor and businessman from Missouri. He had English , Welsh and some French Huguenot ancestry, and was a descendant of John Gano (1727–1804), the minister who allegedly baptized George Washington . Through John Gano's sister Sussanah, Hughes was a 5th cousin once-removed of the Wright brothers , Orville and Wilbur, who invented the first successful airplane. Hughes Sr. patented

1548-445: A young age, Hughes became a proficient and enthusiastic golfer. He often scored near-par figures, playing the game to a two-three handicap during his 20s, and for a time aimed for a professional golf career. He golfed frequently with top players, including Gene Sarazen . Hughes rarely played competitively and gradually gave up his passion for the sport to pursue other interests. Hughes played golf every afternoon at LA courses including

1634-556: The Beverly Hills neighborhood surrounding the country club. 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 North Whittier Drive owned by Charles E. Meyer. Hughes managed to pull himself out of the flaming wreckage but lay beside the aircraft until he was rescued by U.S. Marine Corps Master Sergeant William L. Durkin, who happened to be in

1720-707: The H-4 Hercules . 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 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

1806-507: 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. On July 14, 1938, Hughes set another record by completing

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1892-670: The 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

1978-742: The Hughes Tool Company purchased the North Las Vegas Air Terminal. Originally known as Summa Corporation , the Howard Hughes Corporation formed in 1972 when the oil-tools business of Hughes Tool Company, then owned by Howard Hughes Jr., floated on the New York Stock Exchange under the "Hughes Tool" name. This forced the remaining businesses of the "original" Hughes Tool to adopt a new corporate name: "Summa". The name "Summa"—Latin for "highest"—was adopted without

2064-620: The William P. Hobby Airport in 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 . Other aviator awards include:

2150-700: The XB-30 (a bomber version of the Constellation) in 1941, military officials gave Lockheed the go-ahead to build 80 Constellations, on the condition that other aircraft on their assembly lines would not be affected. With this, Lockheed could now put more attention towards building the Constellation airliner. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on the US Naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii , causing

2236-596: The 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 airspeed record of 352 mph (566 km/h) over his test course near Santa Ana, California ( Giuseppe Motta reaching 362 mph in 1929 and George Stainforth reached 407.5 mph in 1931, both in seaplanes). This marked

2322-551: The flight operations manager. 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 . Hughes and his crew were awarded the 1938 Collier Trophy for flying around the world in record time. He was awarded the Harmon Trophy in 1936 and 1938 for the record-breaking global circumnavigation. In 1938

2408-556: The two-cone roller bit in 1909, which allowed rotary drilling for petroleum in previously inaccessible places. The senior Hughes made the shrewd and lucrative decision to commercialize the invention by leasing the bits instead of selling them, obtaining several early patents, and founding the Hughes Tool Company in 1909. Hughes' uncle was the famed novelist, screenwriter, and film director Rupert Hughes . A 1941 affidavit birth certificate of Hughes, signed by his aunt Annette Gano Lummis and by Estelle Boughton Sharp, states that he

2494-612: The "airliner of the future". Lockheed's airliner under development at the time, the L-044 Excalibur , did not meet the requirements. When the meeting ended with Hughes and Frye, the executives immediately started on improving the Excalibur to meet Hughes' expectations. One idea was to use the Wright R-2600 engines in place of the proposed Wright GR-1820 . It was decided instead to start from scratch using some original characteristics of

2580-568: The 1930s. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973 and was included in Flying magazine's 2013 list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation, ranked at No. 25. During his final years, Hughes extended his financial empire to include several major businesses in Las Vegas , such as real estate, hotels, casinos, and media outlets. Known at the time as one of the most powerful men in

2666-553: The 45-minute limit decreed by the USAAF, possibly distracted by landing gear retraction problems. An oil leak caused one of the contra-rotating propellers to reverse pitch, causing the aircraft to 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

Lockheed L-049 Constellation - Misplaced Pages Continue

2752-725: 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". 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

2838-576: The Constellation to fly above the clouds. Lockheed had done pressurization in an aircraft before, with the Lockheed XC-35 . A few months before the United States entered World War II , the Wartime Production Board inspected Lockheed's Burbank facility which housed the Constellation prototype. The secret could no longer be kept, and Lockheed announced the existence of the Constellation to

2924-565: The Constellation's design at risk, Lockheed purchased the five remaining C-69 transports still in production back from the military, saving 15,000 jobs. The five aircraft were re-converted into L-049 civilian airliners and put up for sale on the market. These modifications included removal of the retractable tail stand; along with the inclusion of a luxury interior, more portholes, a galley, and crew relief areas. Better ventilation, insulation and heating were also added. The powerplants were replaced by R-3350-745C18BA-1 engines (the civilian equivalent to

3010-405: The D-2 and powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-4360 -31 engines, each driving a set of contra-rotating propellers . Only two prototypes were completed; the second one had a conventional single propeller per side. 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

3096-534: The D-2 returned to the hangar for extensive changes to its wings, and Hughes proposed to redesignate it as the D-5. However, in November 1944, the still-incomplete D-2 was destroyed in a hangar fire reportedly caused by a lightning strike. In the spring of 1943 Hughes spent nearly a month in Las Vegas , test-flying his Sikorsky S-43 amphibious aircraft, practicing touch-and-go landings on Lake Mead in preparation for flying

3182-444: 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. 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

3268-455: The Excalibur. The design was lengthened from 74 ft 3 in (22.63 m) to 95 ft 9 in (29.18 m) and the wingspan was increased to 102 ft 4 in (31.19 m). Six different layouts of the cockpit envisaged, including a "Bug-Eye" proposal in which the pilot and co-pilot would sit in separate domes next to each other. In the end, it was decided to use a single curvature design with all-around glazing. Three weeks later,

3354-713: The H-1 Racer was donated to the Smithsonian . 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

3440-635: The Lakeside Golf Club, Wilshire Country Club , or the Bel-Air Country Club . Partners included George Von Elm or Ozzie Carlton. After Hughes hurt himself in the late 1920s, his golfing tapered off, and after his XF-11 crash, Hughes was unable to play at all. Hughes withdrew from Rice University shortly after his father's death. On June 1, 1925, he married Ella Botts Rice, daughter of David Rice and Martha Lawson Botts of Houston, and great-niece of William Marsh Rice , for whom Rice University

3526-520: The R-3350 however, continued and production of the R-3350 was halted until the problems with the engines could be solved. This slowed down the development of the Constellation. Further setbacks occurred, including the B-29 Superfortress (for which the R-3350 had been originally developed) taking priority in engine supply. The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was also further developed than the Constellation. With

Lockheed L-049 Constellation - Misplaced Pages Continue

3612-537: 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 . 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. The initial test flights revealed serious flight control problems, so

3698-620: The United States to enter the war. This meant that Lockheed's production lines were now under military control for the war effort. In March 1942, the 80 L-049 Constellations planned for airline use were requisitioned by the Air Transport Command, and given the military designation C-69 . In December 1942, the XC-69 prototype was rolled out. This was the first four engined aircraft to be produced by Lockheed. Several ground tests were performed on

3784-535: The White House to collect it. 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

3870-464: The XC-69 that same month. The final inspections were taken out on the XC-69 in January 1943, and the aircraft first flew on January 9 with Edmund Allen (Boeing's chief test pilot who was borrowed for the occasion) at the controls. When the flight ended, Allen stated "This machine works so well that you don't need me anymore!". With that, Allen returned to Boeing. On April 17, 1944, the second production C-69

3956-454: The aircraft and competing with TWA. The secret was apparently well kept. When Hughes was brought in to look at a scale mock up of the Excalibur's cabin, he was not pleased with the outcome and stated "It's not what I expected". Hughes later had Raymond Loewy redesign the cabin to his liking. A complete life sized mock up of the Excalibur was eventually constructed with battery operated retractable landing gear. The gear mechanisms were tested on

4042-495: 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" (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 . The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF, successor to

4128-485: The approval of Hughes himself, who preferred to keep his own name on the business, and suggested "HRH Properties" (for Hughes Resorts and Hotels, and also his own initials). In 1988 Summa announced plans for Summerlin , a master-planned community named for the paternal grandmother of Howard Hughes, Jean Amelia Summerlin. Initially staying in the Desert Inn , Hughes refused to vacate his room, and instead decided to purchase

4214-503: The area visiting friends. Hughes sustained significant injuries in the crash, including a crushed collar bone , multiple cracked ribs, crushed chest with collapsed left lung, shifting his heart to the right side of the chest cavity, and numerous third-degree burns . 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

4300-439: The company agree to remove the production of the film Jet Pilot from David O. Selznick to Hughes. Hughes produced the film during the years 1949-1950 and owned RKO and in turn the distribution for the film. However, the film was not released until 1957 by Universal Pictures due in part to the subsequent events that would take place at RKO Distribution , and largely due the extra aerial film footage that had been filmed over

4386-399: The drawing board). 89 aircraft had been ordered by November 1945. The L-049 was used by TWA , Delta Air Lines , Capital Airlines , Braniff , Pan American World Airways , American Overseas Airlines (AOA), Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra), Air France , KLM , BOAC , El Al , Cubana de Aviación , and other less-known airlines. The first production L-049 flew on July 12, 1945, and

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4472-466: The drawing board. Since TWA was unable to provide funding, Howard Hughes had his other company, the Hughes Tool Company , fund the construction of the airliner. Hughes ordered 40 Excaliburs on July 10, 1940, making the order the largest in airline history at the time. The development was to be kept a secret until the 35th aircraft was delivered to TWA. This was done in order to keep competitors such as Juan Trippe 's Pan American World Airways from ordering

4558-411: The end of the war now in sight, the original order of 260 C-69s was first reduced to 73 then cancelled. Only 22 C-69s were ever constructed for the United States Army Air Forces and only 15 were delivered. As World War II drew to a close, large quantities of military surplus became available on the civilian market along with the cancellation of the remaining C-69 Constellations still in production. With

4644-469: The entire hotel. Hughes extended his financial empire to include Las Vegas real estate, hotels, and media outlets, spending an estimated $ 300 million, and using his considerable powers to acquire many of the well-known hotels, especially the venues connected with organized crime . He quickly became one of the most powerful men in Las Vegas. He was instrumental in changing the image of Las Vegas from its Wild West and, later, Mafia / organized crime roots into

4730-602: The first licensed ham-radio operators in Houston, having the assigned callsign W5CY (originally 5CY). At 12, Hughes was photographed for the local newspaper, which identified him as the first boy in Houston to have a "motorized" bicycle, which he had built from parts of his father's steam engine . He was an indifferent student, with a liking for mathematics, flying, and mechanics. He took his first flying lesson at 14, and attended Fessenden School in Massachusetts in 1921. After

4816-552: The first working laser, aircraft computer systems, missile systems, ion-propulsion engines (for space travel), commercial satellites, and other electronics systems. In 1948 Hughes created a new division of Hughes Aircraft: the 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

4902-552: The flight was 322 mph (518 km/h). 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 , although that has never been reliably confirmed. In 1975

4988-640: The gigantic H-4 Hercules (the Spruce Goose , 1947), the largest flying boat in history with the longest wingspan of any aircraft from the time it was built until 2019. He acquired and expanded Trans World Airlines and later acquired Air West , renaming it Hughes Airwest. Hughes won the Harmon Trophy on two occasions (1936 and 1938), the Collier Trophy (1938), and the Congressional Gold Medal (1939) all for his achievements in aviation throughout

5074-465: The hospital bed specifically to alleviate the pain caused by moving with severe burn injuries. He never used the bed that he designed. Hughes' doctors considered his recovery almost miraculous. Many attribute his long-term dependence on opiates to his use of codeine as a painkiller during his convalescence. Yet Dietrich asserts that Hughes recovered the "hard way—no sleeping pills, no opiates of any kind". The trademark mustache he wore afterward hid

5160-432: 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

5246-749: The limited budgets required to make such films during Hughes' tenure. Hughes reportedly walked away from RKO having made $ 6.5 million in personal profit. According to Noah Dietrich , Hughes made a $ 10,000,000 profit from the sale of the theaters and made a profit of $ 1,000,000 from his 7-year ownership of RKO. According to Noah Dietrich , "Land became a principal asset for the Hughes empire". Hughes acquired 1200 acres in Culver City for Hughes Aircraft, bought 7 sections [4,480 acres] in Tucson for his Falcon missile-plant, and purchased 25,000 acres near Las Vegas. In 1968,

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5332-609: The long-term requirements of the Air Corps, Arnold created a special committee chaired by Brigadier General Walter G. Kilner ; one of its members was Charles Lindbergh . After a tour of Luftwaffe bases, Lindbergh became convinced that Nazi Germany was far ahead of other European nations. In a 1939 report, the committee made a number of recommendations, including development of new long-range heavy bombers. When war broke out in Europe, Arnold requested design studies from several companies on

5418-512: The longest wingspan of any aircraft (the next-largest wingspan was about 310 ft (94 m)). (The Hercules is no longer the longest nor heaviest aircraft ever built - surpassed by the Antonov An-225 Mriya produced in 1985.) The Hercules flew only once for one mile (1.6 km), and 70 feet (21 m) above the water, with Hughes at the controls, on November 2, 1947. XB-30 The Lockheed XB-30 (company model L-249 )

5504-562: The mock up for design validation before production began. The powerplant itself was tested on a PV-1 Ventura which was nicknamed "Vent-ellation" for the occasion. The name "Excalibur" was later dropped as the new aircraft had nothing in common with the original L-044 design. The name "Constellation" was picked up as an unofficial nickname until the intervention of the military. The Constellation had several technological advancements such as electric de-icing, hydraulic assisted controls, reversible pitch propellers and pressurization , which allowed

5590-589: The movie industry, disrupted studio operations at RKO even further. In 1953, Hughes became involved with a high-profile lawsuit as part of the settlement of the United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. Antitrust Case. As a result of the hearings, the shaky status of RKO became increasingly apparent. A steady stream of lawsuits from RKO's minority shareholders had grown to become extremely annoying to Hughes. They had accused him of financial misconduct and corporate mismanagement. Since Hughes wanted to focus primarily on his aircraft manufacturing and TWA holdings during

5676-410: The new design was presented. The design was given the designation L-049 or Excalibur A . The wings of the aircraft were similar to those used by the P-38 Lightning fighter. The aircraft was to be powered by four Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radials with the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 as the back-up. Re-designed, the Excalibur was to be priced at $ 450,000, making it the most expensive airliner on

5762-696: The original Star Trek television series), suffered an engine failure which led to the overheating of the remaining engines until one caught fire, which spread to the aircraft. When an engine fell from the aircraft, it was unable to maintain altitude, resulting in a crash in the Syrian desert 4 miles (6.4 km) from the town of Mayadin in the early morning of June 19, 1947 and the death of fifteen people. Data from American Museum of Aviation General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976)

5848-415: The production company struggled under his control and ultimately ceased operations in 1957. Through his interest in aviation and aerospace travel, Hughes formed the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1932, hiring numerous engineers, designers, and defense contractors . He spent the rest of the 1930s and much of the 1940s setting multiple world air speed records and building the Hughes H-1 Racer (1935) and

5934-459: 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. The Hercules was the world's largest flying boat, the largest aircraft made from wood, and, at 319 feet 11 inches (97.51 m), had

6020-404: The rights to pictures that he had personally produced, including those made at RKO. He also retained Jane Russell's contract. For Howard Hughes, this was the virtual end of his 25-year involvement in the motion-picture industry. However, his reputation as a financial wizard emerged unscathed. During that time period, RKO became known as the home of classic film noir productions, thanks in part to

6106-483: The slower Boeing 314 Clipper that flew before it. AOA, BOAC, and Air France all started L-049 operations later that year. Due to requests by the airlines, production ceased in 1946, in favor of a more standard civilian Constellation, which became the L-649 and L-749 respectively. On the evening of June 18, 1947, the Lockheed L-049 Constellation serving Pan Am Flight 121 , known as the Clipper Eclipse and crewed by third officer Gene Roddenberry (who went on to create

6192-496: The state of Nevada, he is largely credited with transforming Las Vegas into a more refined cosmopolitan city. After years of mental and physical decline, Hughes died of kidney failure in 1976. His legacy is maintained through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. Howard Robard Hughes Jr. was the only child of Allene Stone Gano (1883–1922) and of Howard R. Hughes Sr. (1869–1924),

6278-499: The wartime R-3350-35). Design tests did not need to be conducted, as Lockheed had already tasked them to the C-69 aircraft during the war (one of the C-69s also completed the trials for the civilian airworthiness certificate on December 11, 1945). This made the development of L-049 months ahead of the competing Boeing 377 Stratocruiser , Douglas DC-6 and Republic RC-2 Rainbow (which was still on

6364-483: The world. Even so, the secret of the Constellation's development remains one of the best kept industrial secrets to this day. Juan Trippe took advantage of this situation and ordered 22 L-049 Constellations and 18 L-149 Constellations (a model with a larger fuel capacity). KLM jumped in and ordered four examples. However, production couldn't begin right away, as production of warplanes destined for Great Britain required Lockheed’s production facilities. After cancellation of

6450-463: The years after the film's 1950 completion. Hughes was undertaking a final edit before the 1957 release. After his acquisition of RKO, Hughes shut down production at the studio for six months, during which time he ordered investigations into the political leanings of every remaining RKO employee. Only after ensuring that the stars under contract to RKO had no suspect affiliations would Hughes approve completed pictures to be sent back for re-shooting. This

6536-562: The years of the Korean War of 1950 to 1953, Hughes offered to buy out all other RKO stockholders in order to dispense with their distractions . By the end of 1954, Hughes had gained near-total control of RKO at a cost of nearly $ 24 million, becoming the first sole owner of a major Hollywood studio since the silent-film era . Six months later Hughes sold the studio to the General Tire and Rubber Company for $ 25 million. Hughes retained

6622-408: Was able to arrange for his previous films with United Artists (UA), The Outlaw , Mad Wednesday , and Vendetta to be transferred to RKO. In exchange for the three completed being removed from UA distribution, Hughes and James and Theodore Nasser of General Service Studios would provide the financing of three independent films for distribution by UA. In terms of negotiations directly with RKO,

6708-528: Was an American aerospace engineer , business magnate , film producer , investor , philanthropist and aircraft pilot . He was best known during his lifetime as one of the richest and most influential people in the world . He first became prominent as a film producer, and then as an important figure in the aviation industry. Later in life, he became known for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle—oddities that were caused in part by his worsening obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic pain from

6794-613: Was born on December 24, 1905, in Harris County, Texas . However, his certificate of baptism , recorded on October 7, 1906, in the parish register of St. John's Episcopal Church in Keokuk, Iowa , listed his date of birth as September 24, 1905, without any reference to the place of birth. At a young age, Hughes Jr. showed interest in science and technology. In particular, he had a great engineering aptitude, and built Houston's first "wireless" radio transmitter at age 11. He went on to be one of

6880-746: Was delivered to TWA on November 14, 1945. Pan Am received its first L-049 on January 5, 1946. Due to clauses imposed on Lockheed by Howard Hughes, American Airlines and United Airlines went instead to Douglas and ordered the competing DC-6 (AOA, the overseas subsidiary of American Airlines, still purchased the L-049). The first commercial flight of the L-049 occurred on February 5, 1946, with TWA's "Star of Paris" flying from New York City to Paris . The flight lasted nearly 17 hours, stopping over in both Ireland and Newfoundland . On January 14, 1946, Pan Am began flying its L-049 equipment between Bermuda and New York, replacing

6966-467: Was discovered. 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 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,

7052-417: Was especially true of the women under contract to RKO at that time. If Hughes felt that his stars did not properly represent the political views of his liking or if a film's anti-communist politics were not sufficiently clear, he pulled the plug. In 1952, an abortive sale to a Chicago-based five-man syndicate, two of whom had a history of complaints about their business practices and none with any experience in

7138-505: Was flown by Howard Hughes and Jack Frye, President TWA on a flight between Burbank and Washington DC that took little less than seven hours. The aircraft was painted in full TWA livery for the occasion, and actress Ava Gardner was on board. Due to problems with the Constellation's powerplant, the R-3350, the aircraft were grounded in February 1943. Flight testing resumed in June 1943. Problems with

7224-531: Was named. They moved to Los Angeles, where he hoped to make a name for himself as a filmmaker. They moved into the Ambassador Hotel , and Hughes proceeded to learn to fly a Waco , while simultaneously producing his first motion picture, Swell Hogan . Hughes enjoyed a highly successful business career beyond engineering, aviation and filmmaking; many of his career endeavors involved varying entrepreneurial roles. Ralph Graves persuaded Hughes to finance

7310-529: Was not released nationally until 1946. The film featured Jane Russell , who received considerable attention from industry censors, this time owing to her revealing costumes. From the 1940s to the late 1950s, the Hughes Tool Company ventured into the film industry when it obtained partial ownership of the RKO companies, which included RKO Pictures, RKO Studios, a chain of movie theaters known as RKO Theatres and

7396-607: Was the design submitted by Lockheed after the request by the United States Army Air Forces for a very heavy bomber, the same request that led to the Boeing B-29 Superfortress , the Douglas XB-31 and Consolidated B-32 Dominator . Around 1938, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold , the head of the United States Army Air Corps , was growing alarmed at the possibility of war in Europe and in the Pacific. Hoping to be prepared for

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