Howard Hughes 1-B H-1Hughes H 1 airplane model. Howard Hughes was a millionaire who loved airplanes. He made movies about airplanes and often bought airplanes to fly on his own. "Howard," a friend finally told him, "You'll never be satisfied until you build your own." So, he built the Hughes 1 B racer, better known as the H 1. He wanted to build the fastest plane in the world. In 1937 it flew nonstop from Burbank, California, to New Jersey's Newark Airport in 7 hours 28