Warplanes of the USA: Hughes HK-1/H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose”

Hughes HK-1/H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose”, Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon

(Hughes Photo)

Hughes HK-1/H-4 Hercules (Serial No. 1), “Spruce Goose”, Reg. No. N37602.

The Hughes H-4 Hercules (commonly known as the Spruce Goose; registration NX37602) is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during the Second World War, it was not completed in time to be used in the war. The aircraft made only one brief flight, on 2 Nov 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the prototype.

Built from wood (Duramold process) because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, the aircraft was nicknamed the Spruce Goose by critics, although it was made almost entirely of birch. The Birch Bitch was a more accurate but less socially acceptable moniker that was allegedly used by the mechanics who worked on the plane. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and it had the largest wingspan of any aircraft ever flown until the twin-fuselaged Scaled Composites Stratolaunch first flew on 13 April 2019. The aircraft remains in good condition. After having been displayed to the public in Long Beach, California, from 1980 to 1992, it was moved to display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. (Wikipdia)