Hughes H-1 Racer colour

[K5054NZ]

Hi all,

This is one that I've found a bit of conflicting info on over the years: was the H-1's wing red or blue when Howard flew the speed record run in September 1935? Pretty much everything I've seen and read indicates blue, but there are sources which say it was red. The long wing - as on the aircraft today - I'm pretty sure has always been blue.

 

George J Marrett has written about seeing the aircraft in its storage hut in 1975 with the extra wings against the wall...it'd be great if he's still around to ask!

[vjhl2000]

NASM has the original BLUE short wing in storage, received at the same time as the racer.      

 

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ipmsairrace/conversations/messages/2810

 

September 1977 issue of Wings/Airpower magazine . 
 

In the 11 page long article written by Walt Boyne titled "Speed 
Merchant" the story of the racer is told. On page 19 he writes how the 
plane was transferred in 1975 from California to the NASM in a 
specially build shipping container. Included were the short wings, 
which were stored at the Silver Hill restoration center, while the 
racer with the long wings was put on display in the gallery of flight 
technology.

I think I have read somewhere that at some point NASM crew was 
thinking of changing the plane back to the short wing configuration. 
It just wasn't possible anymore as there had been made too many 
changes to the fuselage/fittings during the the long wing installation.
 

[catfan]

if you want the wings to match the way they are at the museum  then paint them in tamyia x-3 blue  

[K5054NZ]

That was my plan, thanks catfan!