"Spruce Goose"

[LenM]

I love looking at the attached image from time to time.
It is a visual comparison of various airframes, including the Hughes 'Spruce Goose'.

Not sure whether anyone has visited her at her final restingplace in Oregon, but I'd love to see this monster in real life...

Keep in mind this airplane was built and flown in 1947!!!

[Biggles]

I get spruce goose bumps everytime someone mentions or I see a pic. The story behind it is even more inspiring. Its is a pity it never flew (besides a "fast taxi" ). Sad to see a plane not flying.

[Mogas]

I first wanted to say that it is in LA not Oregon but googled it and saw they moved it, wow that must have been a big job!
I saw it in the early '90s in LA, you could climb aboard then, and it is truly massive.
It did in fact actually fly, though it was only in ground effect. Howard Hughes took it out for some water taxi tests and promptly got airborne, he flew it for over a mile.
I wonder if the FAA smacked his wrists for the "vertical taxi"

[RV4ker (RIP)]

In LA

That the Queen Mary alongside...

Move to Oregan
The move of the Spruce Goose, world’s largest aircraft, from Long Beach, California to McMinnville, Oregon was one of the most challenging technical and logistical projects in the country.

LOGIC provided program feasibility and wrote the proposal for acquisition of the Hughes Flying Boat Spruce Goose as a centerpiece to a major new aviation museum and aviation training/technology center. After winning the national competition for acquisition of this major artifact, LOGIC was responsible for the project management and public/media relations campaign receiving worldwide coverage of the move from Long Beach, California to Oregon. This project was awarded a 1993 AMIE from the American Association of Museums for the marketing and public relations campaign, as well as the Spruce Goose Tracking Kit, developed during the disassembly and move.



http://www.drivearchive.co.uk/xplanes/goose.htm

[RV4ker (RIP)]

video
http://news.cnet.com/1606-2_3-22016.html