This Day in Aviation History
July 7th, 1946
First flight of the Hughes XF-11.
 
The Hughes XF-11 was a prototype military reconnaissance aircraft, designed and flown by Howard Hughes for the United States Army Air Forces. Although 100 F-11s were ordered in 1943, only two prototypes and a mockup were completed. During the first XF-11 flight in 1946, Howard Hughes crashed the aircraft in Beverly Hills, California. The production aircraft had been cancelled in May 1945, but the second prototype was completed and successfully flown in 1947. The program was extremely controversial from the beginning, leading the U.S. Senate to investigate the F-11 and the Hughes H-4 Hercules flying boat in 1947–1948….
 
Source:
Wikipedia, Hughes XF-11: http://gstv.us/1ClDUhV
 
YouTube, Hughes XF-11 military aircraft flying over California, in various configurations: http://gstv.us/1ClEmgl
 
Please consider supporting Gazing Skyward TV by using our affiliate links when shopping online and becoming a Patron on Patreon. http://gazingskywardtv.com/support/
 
Photo from: http://gstv.us/2tByLm3
 
#avgeek #Hughes #XF11 #warbird #ww2 #military #experimental #USA #aviation #history #fb