Howard Hughes built his H1 Racer specifically for speed. His goal was to break the world speed record of 314 miles per hour. On Friday, September 13, 1935 Hughes got his chance to do just that. He took off from Santa Ana Airport in Orange County California and then attempted multiple passes with the crew clocking his speed from the ground below. He flew for an hour and fifteen minutes until he finally ran the Hughes Racer out of fuel. With the landing gear up Howard Hughes landed the racer in a nearby beet field. Both he and the H1 only sustained minor damage.
Although he ran out of fuel, Howard Hughes achieved his goal and broke the world speed record by being clocked at 352 miles per hour.