The Hughes Aircraft Company was an American aerospace and defense contractor that was founded on February 14, 1934, by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of Hughes Tool Company. Throughout its existence, the company was involved in the production of various notable products, such as the Hughes H-4 Hercules aircraft, the atmospheric entry probe used by the Galileo spacecraft, and the AIM-4 Falcon guided missile.
Initially, the company was created to manufacture the H-1 Racer world speed record aircraft, but eventually shifted focus to aircraft part manufacturing. Hughes attempted to transform the company into a major military aircraft manufacturer during World War II, but the initial military projects were unsuccessful, resulting in millions of dollars in government funds being expended on only three aircraft and a highly publicized investigation.
Following this, the company pivoted to fire-control systems and guided missiles, eventually becoming a profitable industry leader in these areas. In 1953, Howard Hughes donated most of the company’s stock and assets to a charity he created, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, before stepping back from managing it directly.
Despite continuing to operate as a separate corporate entity, a small cadre of engineers that had been retained under Hughes’ personal control eventually became the Hughes Tool Company Aircraft Division and then fully independent as Hughes Helicopters. General Motors purchased Hughes Aircraft from Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 1985, and the company was included under the umbrella of Hughes Electronics, which is now known as DirecTV. Raytheon acquired the assets of Hughes Electronics in 1997.