Hughes was the only child of Howard Robard Hughes Sr. and Alene Gano Hughes. Hughes’ father amassed a fortune after inventing special machinery that was used in oil and gas drilling. Hughes was an inventive child and took to mathematics and engineering…

Through his wealth and social contacts, Howard Hughes was able to secure military contracts despite past failures. His most famous commission during World War II was for the production of three “Flying Boats,” large wooden boats that, as the name suggests, could fly…

The infamous aircraft that is now commonly known as the “Spruce Goose” originated in the mind of Henry J. Kaiser, owner of an Oakland-based ship manufacturing company, in response to the escalating threat of Axis Powers submarines in the early years of World War II.

Several factors shaped aviation industry growth during the early 20th century. On the heels of the Wright Brothers’ first successful flight in 1903, the U.S. government purchased its first airplane in 1908. Demand for pilots and airplanes would increase at the onset of World War I…

At the end of the 1930s, Hughes Aircraft operated out of leased space at Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale. The growing company did not have sufficient space for production facilities, making it difficult to secure large government contracts.