Ian
priscilla 1Howard Hughes
December 16th 2009 01:23
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer, film director, philanthropist, and one of the wealthiest people in the world. He was also a famous recluse, especially in later life.
Hughes most well known aircraft is the H-4 Hercules or Spruce Goose. It is the world's largest flying boat, the largest aircraft made from wood, and, at 319 feet 11 inches (97.51 m), at the time had the biggest wingspan of any aircraft ever built.
Nicknamed the "Spruce Goose" by critics but actually made largely from birch, it has become the engineering feat for which Hughes is most remembered. However at the time, scandals around the costs and methods of its creation almost destroyed Hughes and his company, Hughes Aircraft.
Hughes was contracted by the US military to build a troop carrying plane during world war 2. It was to be made of "non strategic materials" which is why birch was chosen. At the time is was by far the largest flying machine ever built. Although bigger planes exist today, it will surely maintain its record as the largest wooden plane.
The plane was massive, it was 219 feet long, with a wingspan of nearly 320 feet. and a tail height of nearly 80 feet. It now resides at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
On November 2, 1947 the plane had its long awaited test flight. Howard Hughes was summoned to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee to explain why the aircraft had not been delivered to the military during the war, but the committee disbanded without releasing its final report.
The H-4 Hercules flew only once with Hughes at the controls for a distance of one mile at 70 feet above the water.
*Images and information sourced from this article at Life.com.
**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article for Howard Hughes.
Hughes most well known aircraft is the H-4 Hercules or Spruce Goose. It is the world's largest flying boat, the largest aircraft made from wood, and, at 319 feet 11 inches (97.51 m), at the time had the biggest wingspan of any aircraft ever built.
Spruce Goose under construction
Inside the Spruce Goose during construction
View towards the cockpit
Hughes in the cockpit
Spruce Goose in flight
*Images and information sourced from this article at Life.com.
**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article for Howard Hughes.
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