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Due to wartime restrictions on the availability of metals, the H-4 was built almost entirely of laminated birch, not spruce as its name might suggest. The aircraft was a marvel in its time. It married a soon-to-be outdated technology—flying boats—to a massive airframe that required some truly ingenious engineering innovations.

In 1942, the U.S. Department of War was faced with the need to transport war material and personnel to Britain. Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean was suffering heavy losses to German U-boats, so a requirement was issued for an aircraft that could cross the Atlantic with a large payload.

The aircraft was the brainchild of Henry J. Kaiser, who directed the Liberty ships program. He teamed with aircraft designer Howard Hughes to create what would become the largest aircraft ever built or even seriously contemplated at that time. When completed, it would be capable of carrying 750 fully-equipped troops or two Sherman tanks.

To conserve metal for the war effort, it would be built mostly of wood: hence the Spruce Goose moniker. It was also referred to as the Flying Lumberyard by critics who believed an aircraft of its size simply could not fly.

Development dragged on and was not completed until well after the war was over. In 1947, Howard Hughes was called to testify before Congress, which was eliminating war-era spending to free up Federal funds for domestic projects. Though he encountered skepticism and even hostility from the committee, Hughes remained unruffled. During a break in the hearings, he returned to California, ostensibly to run engine tests on the H-4. On November 2, 1947 with Howard Hughes personally at the controls, the Spruce Goose lifted off from the waters off Long BeachLong Beach is a city located in southern Los Angeles County, California, on the Pacific coast. It is one of the busiest sea ports in the world. Its location is 33°47' North, 118°10' West, about 20 miles (30 km) south of downtown Los Angeles. According to, remaining airborne 70 feet (20 m) off the water at a speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) for just under a mile (1.6 km). At this altitude the plane was still in ground effectGround effect (or Wing In Ground effect) is a phenomenon of aerodynamics where the flow of air around part of an aircraft or a racing car is interrupted by the ground. Ground effect in aircraft Aircraft obtain increased lift and therefore better efficienc and some critics believe it was too lacking in power to truly fly.

Hughes had proved the critics wrong, but the justification for continued spending on the project was gone. Congress killed the Spruce Goose project, and the aircraft never flew again. It was carefully maintained in flying condition until Hughes's death in 19761976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 12 UN Security Council votes 11-1 to admit the Palestinian Liberation Organization January 15 Would-be Gerald Ford presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore is s.

In 1980 the Spruce Goose was acquired by the California Aero Club, who successfully put the aircraft on display in a large dome adjacent to the Queen MaryMary" is the English translation of the name "Marie" or "Maria" in other languages. Among the women known to history as Queen Mary are: Mary of Hungary (1371-1395), queen regnant of Hungary, was the daughter of Louis I of Hungary and the wife of Sigismund Exhibit in Long BeachLong Beach is the name of several places: Long Beach, British Columbia, Canada Long Beach, California, United States of America Long Beach, Mississippi, United States of America Long Beach, New York, United States of America Long Beach, Washington, United, California. In 1988 the Disney Corporation acquired both attractions. Unexcited by the lackluster revenue the Spruce Goose Exhibit generated, Disney began to look for another organization to take it off its hands. After a long search for a qualified buyer, the plane was acquired by the Evergreen Aviation MuseumThe Evergreen Aviation Museum is a museum which displays a number of military and civilian aircraft. The museum is located in McMinnville, Oregon near the headquarters of Evergreen International Aviation. The museum was founded by Michael Smith, a former in 1993, who disassembled the aircraft and moved it by barge to its current home in McMinnville, OregonMcMinnville is a city located in Yamhill County, Oregon. It was named by its founder, William T. Newby, an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his home town McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 26,499. (about an hour southwest of Portland) where it has been on display since.

Though the project was a failure, the H-4 Hercules in some senses presaged the massive transport aircraft of the late 20th century, such as the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and the Antonov An-124 and An-225. The Spruce Goose demonstrated that the physical and aerodynamic principles which make flight possible are not limited by the size of the aircraft.