Hughes aircraft books - history, types and construction

Hughes HK-1 (H-4) Flying Boat Manual

The legendary H-4 Hercules was designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended to defeat the German U-boat threat, the plane was intended to be a super transport that could ferry 750 troops from the USA to Europe, and serve as an aerial ambulance on the return flight. Owing to wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum, the prototype Hercules was built using laminated birch wood. Although company CEO Howard Hughes hated it, the name "Spruce Goose" was coined for the plane and it stuck.
The Hercules would be the largest flying boat ever built, and one of history's largest and most expensive planes. Many questioned the practicality of the aircraft, and after the war ended and the project was roundly criticized as a boondoggle. To silence the critics, Howard Hughes decided to prove the plane could fly. On November 2, 1947 he and a crew of 21 conducted a series of taxi tests with the plane. On the last test, the plane became airborne for a brief time and flew just under two miles at an altitude of roughly 70 feet. It would never fly again, but Hughes had silenced his critics.

This Hughes Flying Boat Manual was originally prepared for the U.S. Government's War Department, and made available through the Freedom of Information Act. It provides an overview of this massive plane's design and operation for the pilot and flight crew, and puts you right in the cockpit of one of history's great planes.
Please note, because this document originated from an archival copy, legibility can vary.

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Howard's Whirlybirds : Howard Hughes' Amazing Pioneering Helicopter Exploits

Howard Hughes, the movie mogul, aviation pioneer and political hound dog, has always fascinated the public with his mixture of secrecy, dashing lifestyle and reclusiveness. Companies responsible for major technological leaps often become household names.
An exception is Howard Hughes's pioneering helicopter company, Hughes Helicopters, a name that has fallen into oblivion. Yet most schoolboys in the world have heard of the company's prize-winning product: the Apache helicopter.

Hughes popularised the light helicopter trainer, mass-produced the first turbinepowered light observation helicopter, led the way in hot cycle rotorcraft propulsion research and, finally, developed the world's most advanced attack helicopter that was purchased and saw service with the UK.
Here's how some of the world's most innovative helicopters were developed. Covering the period from the Second World War until the mid- 1980s, you will learn why Hughes military aircraft contracts came under close scrutiny by the US government.

The story is rich with tales of technological breakthrough and test-flying bravado made possible by a small crew of engineers and daring pilots.

Written by a technical expert and insider to the industry, "Howard's Whirlybirds: Howard Hughes' Amazing Pioneering Helicopter Exploits" is a fascinating and alternative view on the phenomenal pioneer with unpublished photographs and material that will fascinate the aviation and military historian as well as the casual reader and cinema buff.

Donald J. Porter is an established aviation writer previously writing for Tab Books and McGraw Hill. He was previously a technical manager at Hughes Helicopters on the OH-6A and Apache programs during the firm's heyday.

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