On September 13, 2002, an exact reproduction of the famous Howard Hughes designed H-1 Racer broke the world speed record (in category). This was 67 years to the day that Howard Hughes flew his H-1 Racer to an unlimited world speed record of 352.38 mph. The reproduction is the only one of its kind in the world.

    The H-1 Racer Reproduction has become the most photographed and published aircraft in existence. Virtually every aviation oriented magazine world-wide has published (sometimes multiple articles) on the H-1, as well as many mainstream media outlets. For good reason too. The success of the H-1 was pivotal for Hughes. The record breaking flights he made transformed him in the public's eyes from just another playboy movie producer, into daring aviator and aircraft designer. This design demonstrated the remarkable genius that he possessed. He not only designed it and built it. He was the one who test flew it. He was the one that took it into a speed realm that others had not been able to go, or had not dared. 

    What Howard Hughes accomplished was staggering. Never before (since the Wright Brothers), and never since has any single individual designed, funded, built, then flew a unique world record setting aircraft. What Charles Lindbergh did was daring - but he did not design and build the plane he flew. Curtis was a genius of aircraft design - but he left the dangerous game of testing to seasoned test pilots. Hughes is unique in history. He did it all with the H-1.