SW - Hughes D-2

In 1937, Howard Hughes began the design of an advanced twin-engine, twin-boom interceptor in the hope of interesting the United States Army Air Corps in its procurement. The design was somewhat similar to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning that won the 1939 USAAC design competition. Hughes later testified to the U.S. Senate that Lockheed had stolen his design, and decided to build his plane by himself in secrecy. It was made in Harpers Dry Lake in California and even workers were not allowed to leave the factories. The secrecy further alienated USAAC officers, especially when Hughes denied Materiel Command access to the plant. After the D-2 was readied for flight in 1942, Hughes himself took over the flight test program. The USAAC had requested information about the project's progress, but Hughess refused again and then the prototype was destroyed in an unexplained fire at Harper Dry Lake on 11 November 1944. All the documentation was destroyed and D-2 became the most mysterious airplane ever (known from the only photo made in secrecy).