Howard Hughes's gigantic "Spuce Goose"..........
Howard Hughes's gigantic "Spuce Goose"..........
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Wacky Racer

Original Poster:

40,672 posts

270 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
quotequote all
Fascinating story to this giant "White Elephant"..........


www.sprucegoose.org/aircraft_artifacts/exhibits.html

towman

14,938 posts

262 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
quotequote all
saw it at Long Beach many moons ago. Incredible.

Anyone know how it was moved to Oregon? (Too lazy to Google)

FourWheelDrift

91,888 posts

307 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
quotequote all
towman said:
Anyone know how it was moved to Oregon? (Too lazy to Google)


I'll give you a clue.......it didn't fly there

www.sprucegoose.org/aircraft_artifacts/exhibits_cont.html#move

towman

14,938 posts

262 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
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By sea - never thought of that!

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

271 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
quotequote all
towman said:
saw it at Long Beach many moons ago. Incredible.

Anyone know how it was moved to Oregon? (Too lazy to Google)


I saw it there too. Made the Hughes Racer look like a model plane in comparison.

Eric Mc

124,811 posts

288 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
quotequote all
It only ever flew on that one occasion back ib 1947. I get the impression Hughes was too sentimental to have it broken up.

For all his aviation genius, none of his aeroplanes were ever put into serious production. Although I think the Hughes helicopter company was originally a division of the Hughes business empire and they did build some fine machines. The company still exists although it was taken over by McDonnell Douglas in the 1970s and then Boeing in 1997.

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

271 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
quotequote all
los angeles said:
I live there!


I thought you lived near Chino?

pstruck

3,525 posts

272 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
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I did watch 'The Aviator' last week. I'm not sure how closely the film resembled the facts, (not very I guess)? The guy sure was a sandwich short, but you can't deny his passion for aircraft!

s2gonzo

6,247 posts

263 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
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Saw an ealy clip of the Aviator and I'm sure I saw "footage" of the goose flying over peoples heads over land at speed.......

What? Tell me I'm wrong, tell me they dont have him taking her up more than she actually managed.

The thing didnt get that high before Mr.Hughes put her back on the water never to fly again. Ok, so hollywood bend the rules, but come on. The whole "specialness" about this plane (apart from the size, visited once too, OH MY GOD it's big) was the fact that it only rose a short distance above the water once..... Kinda just to prove he could I guess.

Eric Mc

124,811 posts

288 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
quotequote all
Yep, it only ever made that one "hop".

Of course, his other flying machines flew fast and high.

just dave

689 posts

264 months

Tuesday 15th February 2005
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Here is a link to the only Hughes H-1 Racer replica ever built:

www.wrightools.com/hughes/

Brilliant man and a creative genius, poorly captured in a crap movie.

Dave