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Author Topic: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?  (Read 2445 times)

Offline Kuhn

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How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« on: October 06, 2009, 02:46:22 PM »
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Offline Chalenge

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2009, 02:49:47 PM »
Its been disputed that it never flew at all since it never left ground effect.
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Offline Stott

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2009, 02:57:32 PM »
He said it was a death trap.
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Offline OOZ662

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2009, 04:46:25 PM »
Would you fly it again? :uhoh I'd be wetting myself the first time, much less again. The thing is massive...
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Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2009, 05:47:20 PM »
Quote from: Stott on October 06, 2009, 02:57:32 PM
He said it was a death trap.

Not according to that article.


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Offline Karnak

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2009, 12:30:35 AM »
Quote
And it was made of wood. They make, or at least made, toy gliders out of wood, not real aircraft.
Is that so?
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Offline OOZ662

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2009, 12:48:20 AM »
Quote from: Karnak on October 07, 2009, 12:30:35 AM
Is that so?

:lol Oh boy...that guy's in for some wrath.
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Offline Masherbrum

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2009, 12:48:30 AM »
Quote from: Stott on October 06, 2009, 02:57:32 PM
He said it was a death trap.

He could've killed himself flying the H-1 Racer.   :huh    No way in hell he "claimed it was a death trap", no way in hell.  
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Offline MutleyBR

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2009, 12:50:18 AM »
Quote from: Chalenge on October 06, 2009, 02:49:47 PM
Its been disputed that it never flew at all since it never left ground effect.

Probably right  because ground effect occurs about half wingspan height over terrain.

Mutley
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Offline Stalwart

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2009, 02:43:14 AM »
In those days aerospace technology was advancing very rapidly.  Could it be that the plane, magnificent as it may be, was obsolete before it was completed?

Today attitudes are different.  It might be considered "too big to fail" but in those days your ventures had to succeed in the market, not just in the air.
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Offline LYNX

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2009, 04:30:16 AM »
Quote from: Stalwart on October 07, 2009, 02:43:14 AM
In those days aerospace technology was advancing very rapidly.  Could it be that the plane, magnificent as it may be, was obsolete before it was completed?

Today attitudes are different.  It might be considered "too big to fail" but in those days your ventures had to succeed in the market, not just in the air.


Absolutely correct.  Obsolete before it even left the water.  If one looks into the time scale (1950's) jets were coming on strong i.e the commet airliners and the like.  It just wouldn't have been a viable business proposition in the face of the technology which was soon to follow..... and he knew it.

« Last Edit: October 07, 2009, 04:34:26 AM by LYNX »
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Offline -tronski-

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2009, 06:18:44 AM »
Quote from: LYNX on October 07, 2009, 04:30:16 AM
Absolutely correct.  Obsolete before it even left the water.  If one looks into the time scale (1950's) jets were coming on strong i.e the commet airliners and the like.  It just wouldn't have been a viable business proposition in the face of the technology which was soon to follow..... and he knew it.



I thought it was military not civilian - and he only took it up to prove a point

 Tronsky
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Offline Kuhn

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2009, 07:39:51 AM »
Why did Hughes never fly the plane again? Some said he was afraid to, but his closest associates denied it. The more likely explanation is that there was no reason to continue. The war was long over. The need for big seaplanes had evaporated.<<< From the The Straight Dope website
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Offline Reschke

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2009, 07:54:08 AM »
I think he did it just to prove a point...plain and simple.
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Offline john9001

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Re: How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2009, 10:37:28 AM »
before WW2 there were not many airfields for large aircraft and much overseas travel was done with flying boats like the pan-am clippers, he was building the plane to be used as a troop transport, by the time it was finished the war was over and as a result of the war there were many new airfields around the world so the plane was not needed. The era of the big flying boats was over
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