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93-608: In the 1940s, Howard Hughes created an R&D facility in Culver City, California . In 1959 construction started on the headquarters located on a Malibu hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The modernist white and glass building was designed by Los Angeles architect Ernest Lee. The headquarters was built by the Del E. Webb Construction Company , who built several facilities for Hughes. The laboratory opened in 1960. In 1970

186-460: 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

279-622: 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

372-526: 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

465-431: 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

558-671: 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

651-470: 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

744-1008: A limited liability company, "HRL Laboratories, LLC"), with GM and Raytheon as co-owners. GM sold the Hughes satellite operations to Boeing in 2000, and the co-owners became Boeing, GM, and Raytheon. In 2007, Raytheon decided to sell its stake, though it still maintains research and contractual relations with HRL. For more details, please see Hughes Aircraft . HRL receives funding from its LLC partners, US government contracts, and other commercial customers. HRL Laboratories, LLC received its first patent on September 12, 2000. HRL focuses on advanced developments in microelectronics , information and systems sciences , materials, sensors , and photonics ; their workspace spans from basic research to product delivery. It has particularly emphasized capabilities in high performance integrated circuits , high power lasers , antennas, networking , quantum information science , and smart materials . Despite downsizing during

837-546: A matter of policy, many governments of industrialized countries maintain or support a network of organizations, facilities, and resources to produce weapons and equipment for their military forces (and sometimes those of other countries). This is often referred to as a defense industrial base . Entities involved in arms production for military purposes vary widely, and include private sector commercial firms , state-owned enterprises and public sector organizations, and scientific and academic institutions. Such entities perform

930-458: 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

1023-758: 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

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1116-539: 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

1209-511: 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

1302-666: A shipyard at Elswick to specialize in warship production – at the time, it was the only factory in the world that could build a battleship and arm it completely. The factory produced warships for foreign naval forces, including the Imperial Japanese Navy . Several Armstrong cruisers played an important role in defeating the Russian fleet at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905. In the American Civil War in 1861

1395-420: 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

1488-621: 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 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

1581-522: A wide variety of functions, including research and development , engineering , production, and servicing of military material, equipment, and facilities. The weapons they produce are often made, maintained, and stored in arsenals. In 2024, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated global military expenditure at $ 2.443 trillion, the highest level ever recorded by SIPRI and

1674-462: Is also a large global market in second-hand naval vessels, generally purchased by developing countries from Western governments. The cybersecurity industry is expected to be of increasing importance to defense, intelligence, and homeland security agencies. According to research institute SIPRI , the volume of international transfers of major weapons in 2010–14 was 16 percent higher than in 2005–2009. The five biggest exporters in 2010–2014 were

1767-570: 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), 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

1860-485: Is presented by 5-year moving averages. Next to SIPRI, there are several other sources that provide data on international transfers of arms. These include national reports by national governments about arms exports, the UN register on conventional arms, and an annual publication by the U.S. Congressional Research Service that includes data on arms exports to developing countries as compiled by U.S. intelligence agencies. Due to

1953-760: Is substantial. There is relatively little regulation at the international level, and as a result, many weapons fall into the hands of organized crime, rebel forces, terrorists, or regimes under sanctions. The Control Arms Campaign , founded by Amnesty International , Oxfam , and the International Action Network on Small Arms , estimated in 2003 that there are over 639 million small arms in circulation and that over 1,135 companies based in more than 98 countries manufacture small arms as well as their various components and ammunition. Encompassing military aircraft (both land-based and naval aviation ), conventional missiles, and military satellites , this

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2046-681: Is the most technologically advanced sector of the market. It is also the least competitive from an economic standpoint, with a handful of companies dominating the entire market. The top clients and major producers are virtually all located in the western world and Russia, with the United States easily in the first place. Prominent aerospace firms include Rolls-Royce , BAE Systems , Saab AB , Dassault Aviation , Sukhoi , Mikoyan , EADS , Leonardo , Thales Group , Lockheed Martin , Northrop Grumman , RTX Corporation , and Boeing . There are also several multinational consortia mostly involved in

2139-547: The defense (or defence) industry , military industry , or the arms trade , is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and other military technology to a variety of customers, including the armed forces of states and civilian individuals and organizations. Products of the arms industry include weapons , munitions , weapons platforms , communications systems , and other electronics, and related equipment. The arms industry also provides defense-related services, such as logistical and operational support. As

2232-567: 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

2325-542: The British government awarded a contract to the Elswick Ordnance Company to supply the latest loading artillery pieces. This galvanized the private sector into weapons production, with the surplus increasingly exported to foreign countries. William Armstrong became one of the first international arms dealers, selling his systems to governments across the world from Brazil to Japan. In 1884, he opened

2418-561: The Cold War when the United States and the USSR supplied weapons to their proxies across the world, particularly third world countries (see Nixon Doctrine ). This category includes everything from light arms to heavy artillery , and the majority of producers are small. Many are located in third-world countries. International trade in handguns , machine guns , tanks , armored personnel carriers , and other relatively inexpensive weapons

2511-722: 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

2604-602: 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 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

2697-519: 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

2790-686: 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

2883-718: 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 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

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2976-714: 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

3069-760: The National Shooting Sports Foundation members' ability to obtain an export license from taking a month to taking just four days. This was due to the United States Department of Commerce and agencies associated with ITAR expediting weapons shipments to Ukraine. In addition, the time it took to obtain a permit to buy a firearm in Ukraine also decreased from a few months to a few days. Figures are SIPRI Trend Indicator Values (TIVs) expressed in millions. These numbers may not represent real financial flows as prices for

3162-646: 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:

3255-546: 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

3348-562: 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

3441-567: 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

3534-537: 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 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

3627-762: 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

3720-405: 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

3813-542: 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

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3906-444: 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

3999-664: 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

4092-653: The North had about ten times the manufacturing capacity of the economy of the Confederate States of America . This advantage over the South included the ability to produce (in relatively small numbers) breech-loading rifles for use against the muzzle-loading rifled muskets of the South. This began the transition to industrially produced mechanized weapons such as the Gatling gun. This industrial innovation in

4185-600: 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

4278-651: The United States, Russia, China, Germany, and France, and the five biggest importers were India, Saudi Arabia, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan. The flow of arms to the Middle East increased by 87 percent between 2009–13 and 2014–18, while there was a decrease in flows to all other regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, and Europe. SIPRI has identified 67 countries as exporters of major weapons in 2014–18. The top 5 exporters during

4371-581: The Webb Construction Company built the second building. In 1984 the U.S. Federal Courts declared in a court case that the Howard Hughes Medical Institute must divest itself of Hughes Aircraft Company and subsidiaries in order to retain its non-profit status. This led to General Motors purchasing Hughes Aircraft in 1985. GM sold the Hughes aerospace and defense operations to Raytheon in 1997, and spun off Hughes Research Laboratories (legally renamed and organized on December 17, 1997 as

4464-541: 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

4557-473: The aerospace industry's contraction of the 1990s, HRL still continued to be the largest employer in Malibu. Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) 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

4650-507: 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

4743-528: The allies. In 1885, France decided to capitalize on this increasingly lucrative trade and repealed its ban on weapon exports. The regulatory framework for the period up to the First World War was characterized by a laissez-faire policy that placed little obstruction in the way of weapons exports. Due to the carnage of World War I, arms traders began to be regarded with odium as "merchants of death" and were accused of having instigated and perpetuated

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4836-491: 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

4929-507: 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

5022-439: 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

5115-546: The defense industry was adopted by Prussia in its 1864, 1866, and 1870–71 defeats of Denmark, Austria, and, France respectively. By this time the machine gun had begun entering arsenals. The first examples of its effectiveness were in 1899 during the Boer War and in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War . However, Germany led the innovation of weapons and this advantage in the weapons of World War I nearly defeated

5208-557: The different methodologies and definitions used different sources often provide significantly different data. SIPRI uses the "trend-indicator values" (TIV). These are based on the known unit production costs of weapons and represent the transfer of military resources rather than the financial value of the transfer. Units are in Trend Indicator Values expressed as millions of U.S. dollars at 1990s prices. These numbers may not represent real financial flows as prices for

5301-469: 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

5394-488: The family fortune. On his 19th birthday, Hughes was declared an emancipated minor , enabling him to take full control of his life. From 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

5487-583: 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 a brief stint at The Thacher School , Hughes attended math and aeronautical engineering courses at Caltech . The red-brick house where Hughes lived as

5580-574: 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

5673-561: 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

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5766-465: 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

5859-432: 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

5952-583: 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 the production company struggled under his control and ultimately ceased operations in 1957. Through his interest in aviation and aerospace travel, Hughes formed

6045-710: 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,

6138-457: 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. Defense contractors The arms industry , also known as

6231-513: The manufacturing of fighter jets , such as the Eurofighter . The largest military contract in history, signed in October 2001, involved the development of the Joint Strike Fighter . Several of the world's great powers maintain substantial naval forces to provide a global presence, with the largest nations possessing aircraft carriers , nuclear submarines and advanced anti-air defense systems . The vast majority of military ships are conventionally powered, but some are nuclear-powered . There

6324-589: 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

6417-409: The number of firearms in circulation had increased significantly between 2006 and 2017, primarily due to increases in civilian possession. During the early modern period , England, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands became self-sufficient in arms production, with diffusion and migration of skilled workers to more peripheral countries such as Portugal and Russia. The modern arms industry emerged in

6510-571: The period were responsible for 75 percent of all arms exports. The composition of the five largest exporters of arms changed between 2014 and 2018 and remained unchanged compared to 2009–13, although their combined total exports of major arms were 10 percent higher. In 2014–18, significant increases in arms exports from the US, France and Germany were seen, while Chinese exports rose marginally and Russian exports decreased. In 2014–18, 155 countries (about three-quarters of all countries) imported major weapons. The top 5 recipients accounted for 33 percent of

6603-423: 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 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

6696-579: 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

6789-404: 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

6882-507: The second half of the nineteenth century as a product of the creation and expansion of the first large military–industrial companies. As smaller countries and even newly industrializing countries like Russia and Japan could no longer produce cutting-edge military equipment with their Indigenous capacity-based resources, they increasingly began to contract the manufacturers of military equipment, such as battleships , artillery pieces and rifles to foreign government military entities. In 1854,

6975-751: The sport to pursue other interests. Hughes played golf every afternoon at LA courses including 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

7068-571: The steepest year-on-year increase since 2009. SIPRI further found that the combined revenues of the top 100 largest defense companies totaled $ 597 billion in 2022, with the five largest companies by revenue being Lockheed Martin , RTX , Northrop Grumman , Boeing , and General Dynamics . SIPRI's data also showed that, between 2019 and 2023, the five largest arms exporting nations were the United States , France , Russia , China and Germany (taken together, they supplied approximately 75% of

7161-451: The total arms imports during the period. The top five arms importers – Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia, and Algeria – accounted for 35 percent of total arms imports in 2014–18. Of these, Saudi Arabia and India were among the top five importers in both 2009–13 and 2014–18. In 2014–18, the volume of major arms international transfers was 7.8 percent higher than in 2009–13 and 23 percent higher than that in 2004–08. The largest arms importer

7254-400: The underlying arms can be as low as zero in the case of military aid. Arms import rankings fluctuate heavily as countries enter and exit wars. Export data tend to be less volatile as exporters tend to be more technologically advanced and have stable production flows. 5-year moving averages present a much more accurate picture of import volume, free from yearly fluctuations. This is a list of

7347-502: The underlying arms can be as low as zero in the case of military aid. The following are estimates from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute . Overall global arms exports rose of about 6 per-cent in the last 5 years compared to the period 2010-2014 and increased by 20 per-cent since 2005–2009. Rankings for exporters below a billion dollars are less meaningful, as they can be swayed by single contracts. A much more accurate picture of export volume, free from yearly fluctuations,

7440-467: The war for earning their profits from weapons sales. An inquiry into these allegations in Britain failed to find evidence to support them. However, the sea change in attitude about war more generally meant that governments began to control and regulate the trade themselves. The volume of the arms trade greatly increased during the 20th century, and it began to be used as a political tool, especially during

7533-484: 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 a near-fatal plane crash, and increasing deafness . As a film tycoon, Hughes gained fame in Hollywood beginning in

7626-741: The world's arms exports during this period). In some regions of the world, there is a substantial trade in firearms for use by individuals (where such trade is legal, commonly cited purposes include self-defense and hunting/sporting). Trade in small arms , both legal and illegal, may be associated with violent crime and political instability . In 2017, the Small Arms Survey estimated that approximately one billion firearms were in global circulation; of those, 857 million (85%) were possessed by civilians, 133 million (13%) were possessed by national militaries, and 23 million (2%) belonged to law enforcement agencies. The Small Arms Survey also found that

7719-464: The world's largest arms manufacturers and other military service companies who profit the most from the war economy , their origin is shown as well. The information is based on a list published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute for 2022. Arms control refers to international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation, and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction . It

7812-463: 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

7905-574: 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

7998-459: Was Saudi Arabia, importing arms primarily from the United States, United Kingdom, and France. Between 2009–13 and 2014–18, the flow of arms to the Middle East increased by 87 percent. Also including India, Egypt, Australia, and Algeria, the top five importers received 35 percent of the total arms imports, during 2014–18. The five largest exporters were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine changed

8091-492: Was a 5th cousin once-removed of the Wright brothers , Orville and Wilbur, who invented the first successful airplane. Hughes Sr. patented 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

8184-408: 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,

8277-708: 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 the 1930s. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973 and was included in Flying magazine's 2013 list of

8370-467: 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,

8463-417: 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

8556-539: 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

8649-541: 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

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