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History of the Spruce Goose
By STARLA
POINTER
Of the News-Register
During World War II, billionaire Howard Hughes and shipbuilder
Henry Kaiser set out to solve a problem.
Enemy submarines were attacking the Liberty ships that carried
the troops, equipment and supplies needed by the Allied Forces.
Some other form of heavy transport was needed — something
that could carry huge amounts long distance, like a ship, but
travel above the water, like an airplane.
The flying boat project was born.
Originally named the HK-1, for Hughes and Kaiser, the flying
boat was renamed the H-4 Hercules after Kaiser pulled out. Doubters
had their own name for the venture: “Hughes’ Folly.”
Some skeptics said a 400,000-pound plane with a 320-foot wingspan
would never get off the ground — or, more accurately, the
water. Others complained about how much precious manpower and
material would be diverted from the main war effort for such
a dubious venture.
Hughes solved the manpower and material problem by using woodworkers
and wood. The wood, however, was mostly birch — not spruce,
as the nickname “Spruce Goose” implies.
Craftsmen known for their work with fine furniture were called
in from all over the country to work on the project in Los Angeles.
Revolutionary design and engineering work went into building
the HK-1. Engineers tested new concepts for large-scale hulls,
lift capacity and aircraft control systems, concepts that since
have been used to build much-smaller jumbo jets.
They incorporated eight of the most powerful engines ever,
3,000-horsepower Pratt and Whitney radial reciprocating engines
with 17-foot diameter props. To feed the engines, they created
a mammoth fuel storage and delivery system.
The unbelievers still said it would never fly. But on Nov.
2, 1947, Hughes proved them wrong. The Spruce Goose taxied out
onto the bay for what was supposed to be a low-speed run on water.
Instead, to the surprise of many onlookers, pilot Hughes lifted
the gleaming white plane gracefully into the air and flew it
70 feet above the waves for a mile.
Hughes had defied doubters and seen the project through. But
by the time the HK-1 was ready, the war was over and the urgency
was gone. Instead of becoming the prototype for a fleet of flying
boats, the massive Spruce Goose went back into its massive hangar.
However, on Hughes’ orders, it was kept flight-ready
at all times. After Hughes’ death in 1976, the flying boat
was decommissioned. It ultimately ended up in the hands of the
Aero Club of Southern California, which decided it should be
on display.
Leased first to the Wrather Corporation, then Walt Disney,
the Spruce Goose spent a decade as a tourist attraction in Long
Beach. After Disney decided to discontinue the flying boat attraction,
Evergreen Aviation acquired the aircraft as the centerpiece of
a proposed aviation museum.
The massive museum and educational complex is now well under
way on Three Mile Lane in McMinnville. It is named for the late
Michael King Smith, who spearheaded acquisition of the HK-1.
Dismantled and shipped to Oregon in late 1992, the Spruce
Goose has been warehoused at Evergreen headquarters, near the
McMinnville Airport, since February 1993. But it hasn’t
been completely dormant.
The giant hull and wings have been buzzing with volunteers,
who have been restoring the 54-year-old plane to its original
glory. The Spruce Goose will be reassembled this winter and placed
on display once again when the museum opens next year. |
