Howard Robard Hughes sponsored and largely designed Racer which gained world landplane speed record 13 September 1935. D-2 (July 1943) led to USAAF XF-11 photo aircraft. H-4 Hercules flying-boat, world’s largest aeroplane (2 November 1947), still on view at Long Beach. Giant XH-17 and smaller XV-9A were tip-drive helicopters. All were products of Hughes Aircraft Co. formed 1936 as subsidiary of oil-drilling Hughes Tool Co. Subsequently this company concentrated on advanced avionics, especially fighter radars and air-to-air missiles.