In 1944 the United States Army awarded the Hughes Aircraft Company a contract for two experimental XF-11 photo-reconnaisance aircraft and 98 production F-11s. The initial XF-11, powered by two 3,000h.p. Pratt and Whitney R-4360-31 engines driving eight bladed Hamilton-Standard contra-rotating propellers made its first flight on 7th July 1946, flown by Howard Hughes. A problem with one of the propellers caused the prototype to crash, seriously injuring Hughes. The second XF-11 was built with single propellers and proved to be a surprisingly good aircraft, but it had appeared at the very time the Hughes war contracts were under investigation by Congress. Eventually, the order, except for the two prototypes and one static test example, was cancelled following VJ Day.

This particular model is of course of the first prototype as flow by Howard Hughes. In addition to looking much like an enlarged P-38 Lightning with its twin booms and twin engine nascelles, the XF-11 was notable for being the world's largest and heaviest two seater military aeroplane of the day with a span of 101 feet 4 inches, length of 65 feet 5 inches and an all up weight of 58,315lbs.