Brute Force!
73 years ago, the Spruce Goose (Hughes Flying Boat H4 Hercules) taxied out and surprised the world!
On October 3rd, 1947, Howard Hughes, surprised the press, and on-lookers as he throttled up and lifted the Spruce Goose to 70 feet off the harbor. Although the flight lasted for just one minute Hughes had proven his concept, and the Spruce Goose was never flown again.
BTW - Did you know that this winged behemoth measures 218 ft long, 79 ft high, a 320 ft. wingspan, more than 250,000 lbs (125 tons), and it boasts 8 Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major 28-cylinder, 3,000 hp air-cooled radial piston engines?
That makes the H4 Hercules the biggest, most powerful, and heaviest radial engine powered amphibious aircraft in the world. Not to mention the fact it is made of wood.
Learn more about the history, first flight, and legacy of this mammoth airplane.
Better yet, come see it for yourself at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, in McMinnville, Oregon.
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Got something to say? Feel free, I want to hear from you! Leave a Comment
Gus Bergamo
Amazing machine!
Is it still in the Evergreen Museum?
It’s one of the machines I definitely want to see in person.
All the best,
Gus Bergamo
Sharon Boogren
My Uncle Bud was the crew chief on that flight and my day in a PT boat next to the plane for the amazing flight! I have a cribbage board made of the wood of the plane.
Marge Wallace Vickrey
Sharon Boogren - Charles “Bud” Jucker was my uncle too. My dad’s sister husband. Small world.
Laureano Mier
Date of Historic Flight was November 2, 1947 not October 3, 1947 as your article states........
Laureano Mier
Wingspan is 319 feet 6 inches. Vertical fin is 89 feet tall. How can such critical information like this have gone so wrong? Did your Museum remove over 100 feet of wing and ten feet of vertical stabilizer? Someone needs to rewrite this “Brute Force” article