Hughes H-3 flying-boat

At the same time as he was developing the H-1 racer, Howard Hughes also conceived a diminutive flying-boat prototype, the H-3. The H-3 was an attractive aircraft that could have made a commercially viable sportsplane, but Howard Hughes had other plans. Indeed, the aircraft was developed only to test the general lines and configuration of his planned H-4 Hercules. Just as the H-1 was NX258Y, the H-3 received the NX259Y registration. It was powered by four Franklin XO-540-7 engines. Unfortunately, it was lost on its maiden flight after only 13 minutes when a Coast Guard Grumman Duck collided with it, nearly killing Hughes in the process. The Duck suffered minor damage, but the H-3 was wrecked and could not be salvaged; still, it had proved that the design was sound, and Hughes immediately proceeded with his H-4, associating himself with Kaiser to build it. He made sure that every record of the H-3 and everything related to it was burned or otherwise erased, to the extent that even today the NX259Y slot is described as "not assigned" in records...

This picture uses the standard Hughes logo of the period. It is of course adapted from a picture of the Hughes H-4 Hercules.


© Stephane Beaumort / AviaDesign 2009