The Hughes XF-11 was a prototype military reconnaissance aircraft designed and flown by Howard Hughes for the United States Army Air Force. Despite promise, the XF-11 suffered a crash that nearly killed Hughes. The program never recovered from this setback.
The aircraft was designed to meet the same requirements as the Republic XF-12. Specifications called for a fast, long ranging photo-reconnaissance aircraft. The final design was similar in general appearance to the World War II Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The Army originally ordered 100 of them but this was canceled following the end of WW2, leaving Hughes with two prototypes.
The first prototype, piloted by Hughes, crashed on July 7, 1946 while on its maiden flight. An oil leak caused the right-hand propeller controls to lose their effectiveness and the rear propeller subsequently reversed its pitch. Rather than feathering the propeller, Hughes elected to make an emergency landing on the Los Angeles Country Club’s Golf Course, but about 300 yards short of the course, the aircraft suddenly lost altitude and clipped three houses. The third house was completely destroyed by the fire resulting from the crash and Hughes was nearly killed.
