Corruption, Crashes, and Congressional Investigations: Hughes XF-11

In this video, we talk about the Hughes XF-11, a World War 2-era reconnaissance aircraft built by business magnate and then-richest man in the world Howard Hughes. We first talk about the early life of Howard Hughes and how he got rich, got into aviation, and then got into aircraft manufacturing with Hughes Aircraft. We talk about some of his early aircraft, like the Hughes H-1 and the Hughes D-2, and the transition from the D-2 into a potential military contract.
We also talk about how Hughes and those that worked for him effectively bribed the son of President FDR to get a contract for the D-2, then renamed the XF-11, and how this contract, along with everything else Hughes was doing, led to him spiraling out of control. We then talk about the eventual completion of the XF-11, how it crashed and nearly killed Howard Hughes, and how its failure led, in part, to a congressional investigation against Hughes and Hughes Aircraft. We also talk about the broader corruption surrounding the investigation and the investigators.

[@lesliereissner4711]

The quite mysterious D-2 disappeared in a quite mysterious hangar fire, supposedly started by lightning on a clear day. Along with the projects in the video (the XF-11 and H-4) that never amounted to anything, there was also also a gigantic helicopter, the XH-17, that was developed between 1948 and 1952 and also amounted to nothing. Hughes certainly did not help his own case by terrible corporate management but in his defence there were plenty of other projects during the war that were dead ends as well. In "The Aviator," the flight of the XF-11 looks terrific! Although during that flight Hughes completely ignored the planned procedures for an initial flight set out by the mililtary and which might have prevented the accident. Interesting fact: Howard Hughes' fortune came via the Hughes Tool Company, an enterprise he apparently visited, in 1938, a single time in his life.

[@teslashark]

At least Hughes as a company ended with the Apache and Cayuse, away from his imputs.

[@totensiebush]

my late grandfather worked for Hughes (mostly on displays) from I think the 50s through the early 90s. when he died a couple years ago he was still getting pension checks from Raytheon.

[@jamesdamron2065]

Pretty cool,,took care of his people, who knew where the bodies we're barried!😂

[@davidg3944]

I admire Hughes the driven inventor. Hughes the manager, perhaps not as much. Interesting video, thanks for it.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

There are a number of videos on this subject - each of which - has some additional information - so watching them all is recommended to have a greater understanding of this aircraft - and the politics of Hughes. .

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

You hit it home for me in the first two minutes of your presentation. And the rest of the video was excellent, as usual.

[@bartonstano9327]

REAL problem was both H4 [spruce goose] and XF-11 never made it to combat. Hughes took TOO long tinkering with the designs, in a war getting designs into the air and combat is vital [ask the Germans about this].

[@Rom3_29]

He was genius milking government contract taxpayer monies, make friends in high places and play political showmanship.

[@imperialmodelworks8473]

Just like every other aircraft manufacturer in the US during WWII. The difference was, Hughes had enemies with friends in Washington.

[@drakron]

The H4 was ultimate unneeded coming about from the losses suffered in the Atlantic by U-Boats but also stuck with having to be made of non-strategic materials, there were a lot of such projects at that time such as Project Habakkuk, a monstrous aircraft carrier partially made of ice to close the Atlantic gap. The XF-11 was a "problematic" to say the least project that failed as the Republic XF-12 was a better plane (and less expensive) that in turn was cancelled in favor of the RB-50 Superfortress and Northrop F-15 Reporter that were cheaper. In the end the 3 H4 would be flying in what? 1944? at that time the Battle of the Atlantic had shifted to the Allied side and they wouldnt be needed, their likely fate if they were build would be conversion to fly VIP (such as Rosenvelt) across the Atlantic, the biggest problem with the H4 ended up being it was something that wouldnt be needed if they were actually build as for the XF-11, it was a very problematic project but there were a lot of prototype planes developed that never reached production, such as the Republic XP-72 that did get a production order of 100 but cancelled due to turbojets or the Curtiss XF14C were its development started in 1941 but the only prototype flown in 1944.

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

​@@Rom3_29The Elon of the 40s

[@chickenfishhybrid44]

​@terraflow__bryanburdo4547 yeah sure, except Elon has actually delivered various products and services to the market.

[@Idahoguy10157]

The XF-12 flew. It would have made a helluva photo recon aircraft. But the war ended the need for

[@CD-ek3iq]

The Aviator is great! One of my favs! You’d like it!

[@eottoe2001]

In the old days, you had things like the Truman Commission that looked for waste in the military or you had people like William Proxmire & Ron Delums [sp?] who also would look at defense spending. A lot of car safety and pollution control came from these kinds of hearings. The congressional research offices did a lot of in-depth work into problems that Congress or the Senate identified. Corruption with the Supreme Court now would have been a bipartisan thing and handled. They'd include the court whatever the ethics requirements for the rest of the federal government. There is too much big money to keep that kind of thing happening and we want to believe the market will take care of things. That is probably why the F-35 is so expensive.

[@eottoe2001]

@@baronvonslambert I'm seeing that the cost per unit is about $109M or about $9M in 1950 dollars. Yeah, Tomcats were expensive but they were about $100M in today's dollars. They can't do what the F-35 will be able to do. You are right.

[@lancerevell5979]

These sort of unethical political shennanigans are particularly easy with an uneducated and uncaring public. True back then, and still true today.

[@FlexibleToast]

And there is one party that really seems to like slashing education budgets... I don't think that's a coincidence.

[@butchs.4239]

The XF-11 may have shared some design details with the P-61, but the F-15 Reporter was essentially a P-61 built around a slimmer fuselage. Curiously, Northrop subcontracted manufacturing of the F-15's nose section to Hughes Aircraft.

[@howardoberg5847]

boy does Hughes sound like our current richest man in the world.

[@ravener96]

Except spacex delivers

[@davidpawson7393]

Elaborate please. I too have issue with some of his ideas like chips being implemented in the human body.

[@stevesee800]

You may find the book "Call Me Pat" , the autobiography of Pat Hyland, the man Hughes hired to take over Hughes Aircraft, rather interesting.

[@irgski]

Watch “The Aviator”..good movie!

[@laketk7185]

22:31 me too , me too…

[@ianchezzog8057]

If you decide to watch 'The Aviator' I am thinking a review on here would be really cool. Then I can decide whether or not to watch it! 😁

[@Past10Performance]

It's a pretty good movie and I also am not a big movie person. Would reccomend it

[@jimdavison4077]

See now I found the 1977 TV movie The Amazing Howard Hughes staring Tommy Lee Jones a better movie myself. The Aviator was just to Leo if you know what I mean.

[@emaheiwa8174]

Sadly it wasn't a billion put into a crazy 50s lockheed jet design

[@DeInHo77]

American aircraft are typically given unique names to make them identifiable-- "Superfortress", "Mustang", "Havoc", etc.. Given the events covered in this video, I propose we retroactively designate the XF-11 the "Booby"... after the coastal bird shown prominently at 22:20, of course!

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Actually, it's the British who get the credit for a lot of those names.

[@neilcam]

@@WALTERBROADDUS True, but who doesn't like boobs...

[@davidg3944]

@@neilcam It's the blue feet, isn't it? Soooo attractive... [drools]

[@kidmohair8151]

11:26 or at least Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates.

[@sivalon1]

The XF-11 was about as big as an entire B-17.

[@ricomon64]

12:30 Has anybody ever noticed Jabba the Hutt in the background of this famous photo?

[@shaider1982]

That's just a hat.🤣

[@ricomon64]

@@shaider1982 Well, I've even zoomed in on it, and I can't "unsee" Jabba. I'm sure it's a time traveler. ...from a galaxy far, far away. 😉

[@EffequalsMA]

Ah, the call of the mighty beeyoob.....

[@stephengardiner9867]

This aircraft was good looking but, as designed, useless to the war effort and if anything, a statement to the overwhelming production capacity of the U.S. that could, even in wartime, afford to waste resources on this (and a few other) designs that were equally or more impractical. Granted, it might have made a good long range recon aircraft but it wasn't needed in Europe, and in the Pacific the long range bombers were handling that job quite well, thank you! Nonetheless, this would make a great subject for a 1/48 scale kit!

[@davidwoods7408]

The Aviator is a good movie! Try it.

[@josephglatz25]

Well, if you do ever have time for a movie, the Aviator's pretty good. A great movie for us aviation nuts, certainly.

[@java4653]

Its a bizarre fantasy that ignores this very corruption.

[@josephglatz25]

@@java4653 Half the movie is Howard Hughes doing really shady shit and steadily progressing away from sanity.

[@LastGoatKnight]

11:20 Uhmmm *gulp* that's... Big. One engine is one house so approx. 20 m. (Or around 70 feet for those who didn't change into the WAY simpler measuring system). That's around 400m in width, 300m in lenght and around 50 m tall. So each wing has, let's say 180m in lenght, is a triangle and 60m in width. So if my calculation is right one wing has a surface area of around 3600 m^2. That's a Behemoth all right 😮. Not sure how it will take off or land though😅 Oh, wait, it's a hydroplane, scratch the last one, I'm just blind😅

[@spudicous]

For someone using a way simpler measurement system, you were pretty far off. Those are R-4360 Wasp Majors, and the props are 5.2 meters in diameter. The wingspan is 98 meters, height 24 meters, and length 68 meters. The wing area at just over 1000 meters square. Still a very big plane though.

[@jpatt1000]

It would've been awesome if you could've gotten Jon Bailey from Honest Trailers to come in and voice over "boobs". (Or as he says it, "Beeeeewwwbs".) As is, I heard it in my head anyway! BTW, I will second "Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters" as an informative read!

[@thamesmud]

Elliott had his knockers then.

[@davidg3944]

"Why, thank you doctor!"

[@kiereluurs1243]

Please say route, instead of 'rowd'.

[@maxo.9928]

Honestly, most based bribe ever, not a giant pile of money and a comfy stake in the company, just some big fuckin honkers. Absolute legend for accepting that one if we're honest, mans legit just played the game and won.

[@RemusKingOfRome]

Exactly, Your conclusion was correct. Super rich people and their hobby planes should not have been allowed to win government contacts...

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

What about super rich people and their Space Projects? 🚀

[@imperialmodelworks8473]

Sorry but someone who flew, designed, and built planes to the level Howard Hughes did, is pretty far from a "hobbyist".

[@RemusKingOfRome]

@@WALTERBROADDUS that tax payer funded ? I think not

[@RemusKingOfRome]

@@imperialmodelworks8473 he was clueless in regards to mass producing quality products.

[@imperialmodelworks8473]

@@RemusKingOfRome and you know this how? Why would he mass produce something he doesn't have a contract for?

[@anthonyxuereb792]

With all respect, the man was not an aeronautical engineer.

[@project-gladiator]

The Aviator is a really good movie, an easy recomendation

[@recnepsgnitnarb6530]

Hughes' undiagnosed OCD torpedoed his projects.

[@bearray57]

Hughes also invented the low cut bra for his movie actresses!

[@davidg3944]

Bless that man...

[@jimdavison4077]

It wasn't low cut at all. It was very cone shaped according to the actress it was intended for and uncomfortable and unbecoming.

[@Hiznogood]

22:28 To be fair, who doesn’t! 🤔 Just look at those blue feet! They’re gorgeous! 😍 😉

[@davidg3944]

I made a similar joke, before reading your comment. But they are nice, aren't they?

[@jean-francoislemieux5509]

movie is good , nice cgi aviation

[@patrickporter1864]

But it ain't history.

[@craigsawyer6453]

I thought the movie the 'Aviator' was a farce. Hollywood's way of getting back at Hughes for embarrassing them so badly with his film company. The film focused on Hughes "eccentricities". After the crash of a Sikorsky sea plane and the EX-11, Hughes was introduced to pain killers that he remained addicted to till the end of his life. His crazy "eccentricities" were all born out of this addiction. Before the crash Hughes was an amazing aviator, he established companies that were at the for fount of development and ingenuities, and that legacy is what he should be remember for.

[@indigohammer5732]

Erm...No. He was clearly mentally ill before the crash and his becoming a junkie.

[@java4653]

"Hollywood's way at getting back for embarrassing them?" LOL. He only made a few films. The bizarre things ignorant people think. And you completely blame his addictions? LOL.

[@craigsawyer6453]

Hey, I am only reporting on what friends that knew him said to me... If you want to believe differently it is your choice.

[@sillysad3198]

i am particularly buffled by the movie-based memes... who are these people? why am i supposed to react in any way?

[@kiereluurs1243]

I, baffled, ...

[@davidg3944]

@@kiereluurs1243I, Claudius.

[@martindice5424]

Hughes also claimed the Japanese stole the H-5 design to make the Zeke… Ho hum..

[@nilo9456]

Sigh, with the darked photos this video features I find the video less than useful.

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

Hughes was a terrible businessman and a worse aircraft designer that happened to inherit a successful company. It's amazing how often those born rich manage to become even more wealthy despite their lack of talent

[@chuckiedimes1466]

A very interesting account ruined by the sing-song narration

[@haveraygunwilltravel]

Hughes tool company. Oilfield tools. Made Hughes 100's of millions and was at the for front of oil production during WW2. Still making tools to this day I believe. The US military could have shut down the money at anytime so who was truly at fault for the wasted money?

[@java4653]

"You didn't stop him from stealing". That's some UnAmerican Trump Logic.

[@hydra8845]

@@java4653yeah it’s better to just waste the money on stuff that doesn’t matter and use up the oil reserves that’s the proper American Biden way 😂

[@drstevenrey]

Dude, did you make and narrate this for toddlers. Besides it does contain a whole shite load of false information.