Lord... Is This Bird Gorgeous, Or What?

Almost 67 years ago on Friday, September 13, 1935, Howard Robard Hughes became the fastest man in the world in a land airplane. It was an airplane that he, along with a specially picked construction team created in secrecy in a small hangar in southern California. The aircraft had a profound impact on the world of aviation, shaping the future of aviation for decades to come. The airplane was known as the H-1, and on that day in September, Howard Hughes flew the H-1 to a new FAI Land Plane speed record of 352 m.p.h. over a three kilometer course. The aircraft was unlike any aircraft ever before seen. It was powerful, graceful, and fast. It didn’t just break speed records – it shattered them.

Hughes had created what would become the future of aviation. The H-1 inspired and captivated the imagination of the nation and of the world. It is a beautiful aircraft, inspiring for both its form and its function. It was created by a mysterious, secretive, and sometimes eccentric man who was possessed of an extraordinary genius. Built in secrecy, the ship was dubbed by some as “The Mystery Ship.” It was built to be fast, and on that day in 1935 it was the fastest land plane that anyone had ever seen.

Of that day, Hughes spoke little. He never attempted to break that record again, going on instead to break others. Eventually he donated the H-1 to the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institute where it sits today in a place of honor. After his flight Hughes made the enigmatic comment, “It will go faster.” A comment that remains unproven to this day.

On Friday, September 13, 2002, a small team from Cottage Grove Oregon intends to find out if Hughes was right. The team, headed by entrepreneur Jim Wright, has created an exact replica of the H-1 Racer. The replica took over four years, and over 35,000 man-hours to complete. The replica is so exacting that the Federal Aviation Administration has designated the Wright built Hughes H-1 to be serial number two. Serial number one is the aircraft currently on display at the Air and Space Museum.

The Reno Air Racing Association has formally invited the Wright built Hughes H-1 Racer to attempt to break the Land Speed Record (in category) on the 67th anniversary of the Hughes flight in 1935. This coincides with the world famous Reno Air Races, which is held every year in Reno Nevada. Several thousand people are anticipated to attend the historic attempt that is tentatively scheduled for 7 A.M. on September 13th , at the Reno/Stead Airport in Nevada. History will finally learn if the H-1 really will go faster. ANN's Tim "Speedy" Kern will be there.

FMI: www.wrightools.com/hughes