Officially titled H-4 Hercules, but commonly called Spruce Goose, seaplane was designed by American industrialist Howard Hughes during World War Two to transport up to 400,000 pounds of trans-Atlantic men-supplies-material to circumvent hugh losses suffered from German U-Boot submariner attacks upon Allied merchant convoys.
Due to war material restrictions, H-4 primarily built from Birch wood, its critics charge the eight radial engines were underpowered for its trans-Atlantic task.
Seaplane flew only once on 2 Nov 1947 during flight taxi trials in Long Beach-California harbor flying 70 feet above the water for about 1 mile.
H-4 never flew again afterwards, but kept in pristine flying condition for next 30 years. Upon Hughes death in 1976, H-4 was first acquired in 1980 by California Aero Club, then the Walt Disney Corporation in 1988, to its current owner Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville-Oregon.
« photo & info link below »
http://uwemilitaria.org/3-Aerial/H4Hercules
http://uwemilitaria.org/3-Aerial/H4Hercules
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