A Goose of a different feather

A Goose of a different feather

All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Spruce Goose (H-4 Hercules) was designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company during the Second World War.  It was intended to be a means of transporting troops and supplies to Europe. At the time many ships were falling victim to German U-boats in the Atlantic. The industrialist Henry Kaiser formulated the idea of working with Howard Hughes to create the largest flying boat in the world. Work started on it in 1942 but by the time it was completed the war had been over for two years.

 Fighter planes under the right wing of H-4 Hercules

It was then the biggest aircraft in the world, retaining that record until 2019. Because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminium and steel, the plane had to be constructed of wood. Although it was nicknamed the Spruce Goose, the majority of the wood used was birch. Allegedly, the mechanics working on it referred to it as the Birch Bitch, a rather less attractive name! Another name for it was the Flying Lumberyard, which was politer but still quite demeaning.

 On display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon.  

It remains the largest seaplane ever built but the prototype never went into production, critics suggesting that its wooden framework was not sufficient to support its weight during long flights. It had a potential range of 3000 miles and was intended to carry 750 passengers, but was never tested over that distance. or with that payload. The need for large flying boats had passed.

In fact, it made just one short test flight of one mile in California, taking off and landing on water on 2^nd November, 1947. Thereafter, it was exhibited in Long Beach, California until 1992 and is now on display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon.