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EspañolHUGHES H-4 HERCULES
(Redirected from Spruce Moose)
The 'Hughes H-4 Hercules' is a one-off heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company, making its first and only flight in 1947. Built from wood due to wartime restrictions, it was nicknamed the "'Spruce Goose'" by its critics, who accused Howard Hughes of misusing government funding to build the aircraft. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history. It survives, in good condition, at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.
Due to wartime restrictions on the availability of metals, the H-4 was built almost entirely of laminated birch, not spruce as its nickname suggests. The Duramold process [1], a form of composite technology, was used in the laminated wood construction. The aircraft was considered a technological ''tour de force''. It married a soon-to-be outdated technology, flying boats, to a massive airframe that required some truly ingenious engineering innovations to function. Ultimately, however, the project was an expensive, humiliating failure and with the end of the war, the project was cancelled.
In 1942, the U.S. Department of War was faced with the need to transport war matériel and personnel to Britain. Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean was suffering heavy losses to German U-boats, so a requirement was issued for an aircraft that could cross the Atlantic with a large payload.
The aircraft was the brainchild of Henry J. Kaiser, who directed the Liberty ships program. He teamed with aircraft designer Howard Hughes to create what would become the largest aircraft built or even seriously contemplated at that time. When completed, it was capable of carrying 750 fully-equipped troops or two M4 Sherman tanks. The original designation "HK-1" reflected the Hughes and Kaiser collaboration. [2]
The HK-1 contract in 1942, issued as a development contract McDonald 1981, p. 45., initially called for three aircraft to be constructed under a two-year deadline in order to be available for the war effort. [3] Seven different configurations were considered including twin-hulled and single-hulled designs with combinations of four, six and eight, wing-mounted engines. [4] The final design chosen was a behemoth, eclipsing any large transport yet built or even envisioned. McDonald 1981, p. 40. Quote: "Kaiser announces the most monumental program in the history of aviation." McDonald 1981, p. 45.To conserve metal, it would be built mostly of wood (elevators and rudder were fabric covered Winchester 2005, p. 113.); hence, the "Spruce Goose" moniker tagged on the aircraft by the media. It was also referred to as the ''Flying Lumberyard'' by critics who believed an aircraft of its size physically could not fly. Hughes himself detested the nickname "Spruce Goose".
While Kaiser had originated the "flying cargo ship" concept, he did not have an aeronautical background and deferred to Hughes and his designer, Glenn E. Odekirk. McDonald 1981, p. 40.
Development dragged on which frustrated Kaiser who blamed delays partly on restrictions placed for the acquisition of strategic materials such as aluminium but also placed part of the blame on Hughes' insistence on "perfection." McDonald 1981, p. 56. . Although construction of the first HK-1 had taken place 16 months after the receipt of the development contract, Kaiser withdrew from the project. McDonald 1981, p. 58-59.
Hughes continued the program on his own under the designation "H-4 Hercules" (initially identified as the HFB-1 to signify Hughes Flying Boat First Design Winchester 2005, p. 113.), signing a new government contract that now limited production to one example. Work proceeded at a slow pace with the end result that the H-4 was not completed until well after the war was over. There were many reasons for this, not least of which was Hughes' mental breakdown during development.
In 1947, Howard Hughes was called to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee over the usage of government funds for the aircraft, as Congress was eliminating war-era spending to free up federal funds for domestic projects. Though he encountered skepticism and even hostility from the committee, Hughes remained unruffled.
During a break in the Senate hearings, Hughes returned to California, ostensibly to run taxi tests on the H-4. On 2 November 1947, after a series of taxi tests with Hughes at the controls and a crew of 18, accompanied by nine invited guests Winchester 2005, p. 113., the Hercules lifted off from the waters off Long Beach, remaining airborne 70 feet (21 m) off the water at a speed of 135 mph (217 km/h or 117 knots) for just under a mile (1.6 km). [5] At this altitude, the aircraft was still experiencing ground effect and some critics believe it lacked the power necessary to climb above ground effect[6].
Hughes had answered his critics, but the justification for continued spending on the project was gone. Congress ended the Hercules project, and the aircraft never flew again. It was carefully maintained in flying condition until Hughes' death in 1976.
Hughes had his entire reputation wrapped up in the H-4 and often said that if the Hercules did not fly he would probably leave America and never return. In a transcript of a Senate hearing, Hughes said:
After years of storage, in 1980, the Hercules was acquired by the California Aero Club, who successfully put the aircraft on display in a large dome adjacent to the Queen Mary exhibit in Long Beach, California. In 1988, The Walt Disney Company acquired both attractions. Disappointed by the lackluster revenue the Hercules exhibit generated, Disney began to look for another organization to take the exhibit off its hands. After a long search for a qualified buyer, the plane was acquired by the Evergreen Aviation Museum in 1995, who disassembled the aircraft and moved it by barge to its current home in McMinnville, Oregon (about an hour southwest of Portland) where it has been on display since.
By the mid-1990s, Hollywood converted the former Hughes Aircraft hangars, including the one that held the Hercules, into sound stages. Scenes from movies such as ''Titanic'', ''What Women Want'', and ''End of Days'' have been filmed in the 315,000 square foot (29,000 m²) airplane hangar where Howard Hughes created the legendary flying boat. The hangar will be preserved as a structure eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Buildings in what is today the housing development Playa Vista.
Though the project was a failure, the H-4 Hercules, in some senses, presaged the massive transport aircraft of the late 20th century, such as the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, the Antonov An-124 and the An-225. The Hercules demonstrated that the physical and aerodynamic principles which make flight possible are not limited by the size of the aircraft, even if the viability of the airplane itself is, mainly due to the lack (at that time) of powerful enough engines.
The construction and flight of the Hercules was featured in the 2004 Hughes biopic ''The Aviator''. Motion control and remote control models, as well as partial interiors and exteriors, of the aircraft were reproduced for this scene. The motion-control Hercules is on display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, next to the real Hercules.
''Performance specifications are projected.''
'Projected endurance (cruise): 20.9 hrs
1. Winchester 2005, p. 113. Note: The Hughes Corporation had developed the duramold process which laminated plywood and resin into a lightweight but strong building material that could be shaped.
2. Odekirk 1982, p. II.
3. Odekirk 1982, p. 1V.
4. McDonald 1981, p. 41- 44.
5. Francillon 1990, p. 102.
6. Wing In Ground effect aerodynamics
★ Francillon, René J. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920: Volume II''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN 1-55750-550-0.
★ McDonald, John J. ''Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose''. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books Inc., 1981. ISBN 0-8306-2320-5.
★ Odekirk, Glenn E. ''Spruce Goos''e (Title inside cover: ''HK-1 Hercules: A Pictorial History of the Fantastic Hughes Flying Boat''). Long Beach,California: Glenn E. Odekirk and Frank Alcantr, Inc., 1982. No ISBN.
★ Winchester, Jim. "Hughes H-4 'Spruce Goose'." ''Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft''. Kent, UK: Grange Books plc., 2005. ISBN 1-84013-309-2.
★ Yenne, Bill. ''Seaplanes & Flying Boats: A Timeless Collection from Aviation's Golden Age''. New York: BCL Press, 2003. ISBN 1-932302-03-4.
★ Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon, home of the plane
★ Spruce Goose: Where Is It Now? A history of the plane following Hughes' death
★ The Aviator (2004) Biography/drama movie about Howard Hughes with H-4 Hercules Spruce Goose episode
The 'Hughes H-4 Hercules' is a one-off heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company, making its first and only flight in 1947. Built from wood due to wartime restrictions, it was nicknamed the "'Spruce Goose'" by its critics, who accused Howard Hughes of misusing government funding to build the aircraft. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history. It survives, in good condition, at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.
Due to wartime restrictions on the availability of metals, the H-4 was built almost entirely of laminated birch, not spruce as its nickname suggests. The Duramold process [1], a form of composite technology, was used in the laminated wood construction. The aircraft was considered a technological ''tour de force''. It married a soon-to-be outdated technology, flying boats, to a massive airframe that required some truly ingenious engineering innovations to function. Ultimately, however, the project was an expensive, humiliating failure and with the end of the war, the project was cancelled.
Rearward view of the H-4's fuselage.
| Contents |
| Design and development |
| Maiden flight |
| Postwar |
| Popular Culture |
| Specifications (H-4) |
| References |
| External links |
| Related content |
Design and development
In 1942, the U.S. Department of War was faced with the need to transport war matériel and personnel to Britain. Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean was suffering heavy losses to German U-boats, so a requirement was issued for an aircraft that could cross the Atlantic with a large payload.
The aircraft was the brainchild of Henry J. Kaiser, who directed the Liberty ships program. He teamed with aircraft designer Howard Hughes to create what would become the largest aircraft built or even seriously contemplated at that time. When completed, it was capable of carrying 750 fully-equipped troops or two M4 Sherman tanks. The original designation "HK-1" reflected the Hughes and Kaiser collaboration. [2]
The HK-1 contract in 1942, issued as a development contract McDonald 1981, p. 45., initially called for three aircraft to be constructed under a two-year deadline in order to be available for the war effort. [3] Seven different configurations were considered including twin-hulled and single-hulled designs with combinations of four, six and eight, wing-mounted engines. [4] The final design chosen was a behemoth, eclipsing any large transport yet built or even envisioned. McDonald 1981, p. 40. Quote: "Kaiser announces the most monumental program in the history of aviation." McDonald 1981, p. 45.To conserve metal, it would be built mostly of wood (elevators and rudder were fabric covered Winchester 2005, p. 113.); hence, the "Spruce Goose" moniker tagged on the aircraft by the media. It was also referred to as the ''Flying Lumberyard'' by critics who believed an aircraft of its size physically could not fly. Hughes himself detested the nickname "Spruce Goose".
While Kaiser had originated the "flying cargo ship" concept, he did not have an aeronautical background and deferred to Hughes and his designer, Glenn E. Odekirk. McDonald 1981, p. 40.
Development dragged on which frustrated Kaiser who blamed delays partly on restrictions placed for the acquisition of strategic materials such as aluminium but also placed part of the blame on Hughes' insistence on "perfection." McDonald 1981, p. 56. . Although construction of the first HK-1 had taken place 16 months after the receipt of the development contract, Kaiser withdrew from the project. McDonald 1981, p. 58-59.
Size comparison between H-4 and a DC-3
Hughes continued the program on his own under the designation "H-4 Hercules" (initially identified as the HFB-1 to signify Hughes Flying Boat First Design Winchester 2005, p. 113.), signing a new government contract that now limited production to one example. Work proceeded at a slow pace with the end result that the H-4 was not completed until well after the war was over. There were many reasons for this, not least of which was Hughes' mental breakdown during development.
In 1947, Howard Hughes was called to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee over the usage of government funds for the aircraft, as Congress was eliminating war-era spending to free up federal funds for domestic projects. Though he encountered skepticism and even hostility from the committee, Hughes remained unruffled.
Hughes H-4 Hercules on its maiden flight
Maiden flight
During a break in the Senate hearings, Hughes returned to California, ostensibly to run taxi tests on the H-4. On 2 November 1947, after a series of taxi tests with Hughes at the controls and a crew of 18, accompanied by nine invited guests Winchester 2005, p. 113., the Hercules lifted off from the waters off Long Beach, remaining airborne 70 feet (21 m) off the water at a speed of 135 mph (217 km/h or 117 knots) for just under a mile (1.6 km). [5] At this altitude, the aircraft was still experiencing ground effect and some critics believe it lacked the power necessary to climb above ground effect[6].
Hughes had answered his critics, but the justification for continued spending on the project was gone. Congress ended the Hercules project, and the aircraft never flew again. It was carefully maintained in flying condition until Hughes' death in 1976.
Hughes had his entire reputation wrapped up in the H-4 and often said that if the Hercules did not fly he would probably leave America and never return. In a transcript of a Senate hearing, Hughes said:
Hercules at Evergreen Aviation Museum
Postwar
After years of storage, in 1980, the Hercules was acquired by the California Aero Club, who successfully put the aircraft on display in a large dome adjacent to the Queen Mary exhibit in Long Beach, California. In 1988, The Walt Disney Company acquired both attractions. Disappointed by the lackluster revenue the Hercules exhibit generated, Disney began to look for another organization to take the exhibit off its hands. After a long search for a qualified buyer, the plane was acquired by the Evergreen Aviation Museum in 1995, who disassembled the aircraft and moved it by barge to its current home in McMinnville, Oregon (about an hour southwest of Portland) where it has been on display since.
By the mid-1990s, Hollywood converted the former Hughes Aircraft hangars, including the one that held the Hercules, into sound stages. Scenes from movies such as ''Titanic'', ''What Women Want'', and ''End of Days'' have been filmed in the 315,000 square foot (29,000 m²) airplane hangar where Howard Hughes created the legendary flying boat. The hangar will be preserved as a structure eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Buildings in what is today the housing development Playa Vista.
Though the project was a failure, the H-4 Hercules, in some senses, presaged the massive transport aircraft of the late 20th century, such as the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, the Antonov An-124 and the An-225. The Hercules demonstrated that the physical and aerodynamic principles which make flight possible are not limited by the size of the aircraft, even if the viability of the airplane itself is, mainly due to the lack (at that time) of powerful enough engines.
Popular Culture
The construction and flight of the Hercules was featured in the 2004 Hughes biopic ''The Aviator''. Motion control and remote control models, as well as partial interiors and exteriors, of the aircraft were reproduced for this scene. The motion-control Hercules is on display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, next to the real Hercules.
Specifications (H-4)
A size comparison of four of the largest aircraft in the world. Click to enlarge.
''Performance specifications are projected.''
References
1. Winchester 2005, p. 113. Note: The Hughes Corporation had developed the duramold process which laminated plywood and resin into a lightweight but strong building material that could be shaped.
2. Odekirk 1982, p. II.
3. Odekirk 1982, p. 1V.
4. McDonald 1981, p. 41- 44.
5. Francillon 1990, p. 102.
6. Wing In Ground effect aerodynamics
★ Francillon, René J. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920: Volume II''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN 1-55750-550-0.
★ McDonald, John J. ''Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose''. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books Inc., 1981. ISBN 0-8306-2320-5.
★ Odekirk, Glenn E. ''Spruce Goos''e (Title inside cover: ''HK-1 Hercules: A Pictorial History of the Fantastic Hughes Flying Boat''). Long Beach,California: Glenn E. Odekirk and Frank Alcantr, Inc., 1982. No ISBN.
★ Winchester, Jim. "Hughes H-4 'Spruce Goose'." ''Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft''. Kent, UK: Grange Books plc., 2005. ISBN 1-84013-309-2.
★ Yenne, Bill. ''Seaplanes & Flying Boats: A Timeless Collection from Aviation's Golden Age''. New York: BCL Press, 2003. ISBN 1-932302-03-4.
External links
★ Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon, home of the plane
★ Spruce Goose: Where Is It Now? A history of the plane following Hughes' death
★ The Aviator (2004) Biography/drama movie about Howard Hughes with H-4 Hercules Spruce Goose episode
Related content
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