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Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987
Edited by David Barth January 2016. Photos were taken by David Barth.
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| This dome was built in Long Beach, California to house Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose". This picture was taken from the Queen Mary, also on display in Long Beach, California. |
The Hughes H-4 Hercules (also known as the "Spruce Goose"; registration NX37602) is a prototype heavy strategic airlift military transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during World War II, it was not completed in time to be used in the war.
The aircraft made only one brief flight on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced.
Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, it was nicknamed by critics the "Spruce Goose", although it was made almost entirely of birch. [Perhaps, more accurately, it should have been dubbed the "Birch Behemoth" -ed.]
The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history as of 2016, including the Boeing 747-8, Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, and the Airbus A-380. Originally, it was moved from the Hughes hangar to a domed display site in Long Beach, California. When it had to be moved from its Long Beach location, there were proposals to cut it into small pieces for sale to enthusiasts and collectors. As of this writing in 2016, it is on display, in its entirety, at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, United States.
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| Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987. |
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| Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987. |
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| Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987. |
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| Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987. |
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| Wingspan comparisons showing that the Spruce Goose span is longer than the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. |
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| View looking aft toward the tail where troops and/or cargo could be carried. The red bottles contain fire suppressant. |
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| This view is toward the nose. Note the monitoring station. |
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| Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987. |
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| Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987. |
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| Likeness of Howard Hughes in the cockpit. |
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| Likeness of Howard Hughes in the cockpit. |
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| Cutaway of the engine used in the Hercules. It had eight of them. |
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| Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987. |
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| At the Long Beach, California display, colored lights illuminated the plane, periodically changing color. |
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| Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose", Long Beach, California, August 1987. |