The Spruce Goose, also known as the Hughes H-4 Hercules, is one of the largest airplanes ever built. With a wingspan of 97.5 meters (320 feet) and a length of 66.7 meters (219 feet), the Spruce Goose is larger than a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. This massive wooden aircraft was designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company in the 1940s under the direction of American business magnate Howard Hughes.
Only a single prototype was ever built, and the Spruce Goose only flew once on November 2, 1947 for a short hop of around 1 mile at an altitude of 70 feet above the water. After this brief first and only flight, the Spruce Goose was moved to Long Beach, California where it was kept in flight-ready condition until Hughes’ death in 1976. The aircraft was then moved several more times before finally finding a permanent home at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon where it resides today as a centerpiece exhibit and national historic monument.
Why Was the Spruce Goose Built?
The Spruce Goose was conceived during World War II when the United States government needed to transport war material across the Atlantic Ocean. Allied shipping was under attack by German U-boats, so new means of cargo transport were desperately needed. Howard Hughes gained government approval and financing in 1942 to construct a massive flying boat using as much non-strategic material as possible.
The aircraft was originally intended to be made from aluminum, but wartime rationing required Hughes to construct it mostly from wood. The Spruce Goose got its nickname from the spruce wood used in construction, along with birch for the wings. Despite setbacks and delays, Hughes persevered and completed the aircraft in 1947 after the war had ended and its services were no longer required.
First and Only Flight in 1947
On November 2, 1947, Hughes piloted the Spruce Goose on its first and only flight, intended to qualify the aircraft for government funding which required a minimum flight distance. With Hughes at the controls and a crew of 36 on board, the massive seaplane lifted off from Los Angeles Harbor and flew at an altitude of 70 feet for just under a mile before making a safe landing back on the water.
The short hop proved the aircraft could fly and was enough to satisfy the flight qualification requirements. However, with the end of the war, orders for military transport were canceled and no further flights were made. The Spruce Goose was moved to dry dock storage where Hughes kept it flight ready for many years before finally retiring it in the 1950s.
Specifications of the Hughes H-4 Hercules
Wingspan | 320 feet (97.5 m) |
Length | 219 feet (66.7 m) |
Height | 79 feet (24 m) |
Max takeoff weight | 400,000 pounds (181,437 kg) |
Powerplant | 8 Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines |
Crew | 5 flight crew + 36 cabin crew |
Capacity | 750 troops or 2 Sherman tanks |
As the specifications highlight, the Hughes Hercules was truly enormous and specially designed to carry extremely heavy cargo loads across the Atlantic. The aircraft remains the largest flying boat ever built, as well as the aircraft with the largest wingspan to ever fly.
The Spruce Goose’s Journey After 1947
After its brief inaugural flight, the Spruce Goose was kept by Howard Hughes in flight-ready condition despite never flying again. Its journey after 1947 consisted of moves between different storage locations in California.
Long Beach Harbor: 1947-1976
Following the single test flight in 1947, the Spruce Goose was moved from Los Angeles Harbor to Terminal Island at Long Beach Harbor. Hughes leased a large hangar and had the aircraft docked in the bay with a specially constructed climate controlled hut built around it.
Teams of workers maintained the aircraft in flight readiness for Hughes at significant expense, even though it never flew again. Hughes resisted suggestions to scrap the plane and kept it stored in Long Beach until his death in 1976.
A Long Beach Storage and Display Hangar: 1976-1980
After Hughes passed away in 1976, ownership of the Spruce Goose transferred to Summa Corporation, the financial holding company that had inherited Hughes’ business assets. Seeking to monetize the aircraft, Summa leased the Spruce Goose to the Wrather Port Properties hotel company, which moved the aircraft in 1977 to a large domed storage and display hangar adjacent to the Queen Mary ship attraction in Long Beach.
For a $1 entrance fee, visitors could enter the dome and view the Spruce Goose mounted on pylons inside. This marked the first time the iconic aircraft had been put on public display.
At a Long Beach Storage Facility: 1980-1988
By 1980, attendance at the Spruce Goose exhibit was lagging, so the aircraft was removed from the domed display hangar. From 1980 to 1988, the aircraft changed hands between multiple owners and was kept in outdoor storage at a Long Beach facility.
Concerns grew over this period about the continued deterioration of the aircraft from exposure to the elements. There were calls for the Spruce Goose to be preserved as an important piece of aviation history before it was too late.
Disassembly and Move to Oregon: 1988-1992
In 1988, the Evergreen Aviation Museum (then called the Evergreen Aviation Educational Center) acquired ownership of the Spruce Goose. Realizing the aircraft was too large to transport to Oregon intact, Evergreen contracted with heavy transport company Sause Bros. to disassemble the Spruce Goose into sub-sections small enough for highway transportation.
Throughout 1992, the aircraft was carefully taken apart and transported on multiple heavy haul trucks up the Pacific Coast Highway from Long Beach to McMinnville, Oregon. Reassembly at the museum took over a year, culminating in the Spruce Goose going back on public display in 1993.
Preservation at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum: 1993 – Present
Since 1993, the Spruce Goose has been the centerpiece attraction at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. The aircraft sits in a large glass-walled exhibit space adjoining the museum’s main building. Visitors can walk under and around the plane to appreciate its immense size.
Evergreen has maintained the Spruce Goose for over 25 years now, keeping it stabilized and preventing further deterioration. In 2013, a restoration effort began to conserve the aircraft and return it to its 1947 condition. Ongoing work aims to keep this iconic piece of aviation history preserved for generations to come.
The Spruce Goose has found a permanent home in McMinnville where it is seen by thousands of visitors each year who come to admire Howard Hughes’ massive wooden flying boat. The museum continues efforts to restore and maintain this one-of-a-kind aircraft.
Conclusion
The Hughes H-4 Hercules, better known as the Spruce Goose, has led an interesting life despite only flying once in 1947. This mammoth wooden aircraft was built by Howard Hughes during WWII to transport materiel, but was completed too late to see wartime service. After its single 1 mile flight to qualify for government funding, Hughes kept the aircraft in flight-ready storage for over 30 years before it was finally retired to museum display in the early 1990s.
The Spruce Goose now resides as an exhibit at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon – over 900 miles from its birthplace in Long Beach Harbor. Thanks to the museum’s preservation efforts, visitors can still gaze in wonder at Howard Hughes’ massive engineering achievement and a highlight of aviation history. The Spruce Goose remains the largest flying boat and largest wingspan aircraft ever to achieve flight.
5 Interesting Facts About the Spruce Goose
- The wingspan of the Spruce Goose is longer than the distance of the plane’s only flight.
- At the time it was built, the Spruce Goose was the largest aircraft ever constructed.
- The plane is estimated to have cost $23 million to construct in the 1940s.
- Had it gone into full production, the Spruce Goose would have been used to transport up to 750 fully equipped troops or two 30-ton M4 Sherman tanks.
- The aircraft required a crew of 5 flight personnel plus ground support crew of 36 to operate it.
The story of this one-of-a-kind wooden behemoth continues to fascinate aviation enthusiasts and engineers alike over 75 years after its first and only flight. The Spruce Goose sits today as an enduring symbol of American innovation and monument to the ambition of its builder, Howard Hughes.