He purchased the plane in 1929 and in 1931 added floats for a trip around the world with his wife, Anne, seen below in the back seat.
After aborting the trip following a capsize under tow in China in 1931, the aircraft required a rebuild and was returned to the USA.
They set out again in 1933. This time they took a route across the north Atlantic with many stops en route and eventually covered 30,000 miles. They flew all over Europe, Russia and South Africa, returning to the USA by the South Atlantic going across from Africa to Brazil then northward to New York.
The aircraft today is on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
Too bad Hubley did not do a version with the floats. But It wold have been very heavy and the only other cast iron float plane made, the Hubley Friendship, was not a bug success.
