Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Oregon McMinnville The Spruce Goose

The Spruce Goose

The wooden airship was the largest flying boat ever built.

McMinnville, Oregon

Added By
Hannah Wagner
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The H-4 Hercules, aka “Spruce Goose.”   Federal Aviation Administration
The Spruce Goose in the main building of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.   Drew Wallner
The Spruce Goose side view   Moody 75
The Spruce Goose righthand wing   Moody 75
The Spruce Goose   Unknown
Radio Operator’s Panel  
Co-Pilot’s Station  
Flight Deck  
Howard Hughes’s air filtration system and circular staircase to access the flight deck  
Cross section showing wooden construction  
Aux support beams installed by Disney under the flight deck  
Onboard Fire Suppression System  
Loft Socks  
Hatch to access the fuel tanks  
Theoretical cargo arrangement  
Secondary Flight Engineers Panel  
Pilot’s Position  
Pilot’s Instrumentation  
APU (Aux Power Unit) used to start the engines onboard the flight deck  
One of the beach balls found inside the wing floats  
Looking aft down the tail  
Log book showing the one and only flight  
Flight Engineers Panel  
Engines of the Spruce Goose   scattered1
Inside the Spruce Goose   jill, jellidonut... whatever
Pilot’s secondary panel  
View down the interior of the starboard wing  
Aux Oil tank mounted just inboard of the port wing  
View of the Starboard engines and wing from the pilot’s top hatch  
View of the Port engines and wing from the pilot’s hatch  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Hughes H-4 Hercules, otherwise known as “Spruce Goose,” hatched from the need to transport World War II soldiers and supplies without the risk of being sunk by German U-boats. In 1942, the American shipbuilder Henry Kaiser took on this necessary innovation by looking to the skies.

Kaiser recruited Howard Hughes, a pilot, engineer, filmmaker, and millionaire to help design a flying boat that could airlift the cargo. Given the government restrictions on building materials during wartime, Hughes had to be resourceful, yet he was able to build an aircraft six times larger than any aircraft of its time without the use of aluminum or steel. To Hughes’ dismay, the press continued to call it the “Spruce Goose” even though the wooden mammoth is mostly made of birch. (The “Birch Bird” really is almost just as good.)

As Hughes was a notorious perfectionist, the engineering feat was still unfinished by the end of the war. Kaiser dropped out of the costly project, but Hughes continued to slave over his creation, egged on by his pride and the press. Many believed the plane would never fly.

On November 2nd, 1947, during a taxi test off the coast of California, Hughes impulsively piloted his Herculean airboat. It flew for about a mile, only hovering 70 feet above the water, but it still flew. The plane was never airborne again. Today, the Spruce Goose can be visited at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. There it stands as the centerpiece of the museum, a wonder of innovation, aviation, and pride.

Related Tags

Airships Airplanes Aircraft Boats Inventions Technology War History Transportation Museums Aviation Travel Oregon World War Ii Military

Community Contributors

Added By

hcw2rp

Edited By

erjeffery, Meg

  • erjeffery
  • Meg

Published

February 28, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/december/01/spruce-goose-dominates-oregon-museum
  • http://www.boeing.com/history/products/h-4-flying-boat.page
  • http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/spruce-goose-flies
  • https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/spruce-goose-museum/index.html
  • https://mashable.com/2015/08/21/howard-hughes-plane/#ARnNz2.Fasqx
The Spruce Goose
500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way
McMinnville, Oregon
United States
45.203889, -123.143333
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Evergreen Aviation Museum

McMinnville, Oregon

miles away

Erratic Rock State Natural Site

McMinnville, Oregon

miles away

Wheatland Ferry

Salem, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of McMinnville

McMinnville

Oregon

Places 3

Nearby Places

Evergreen Aviation Museum

McMinnville, Oregon

miles away

Erratic Rock State Natural Site

McMinnville, Oregon

miles away

Wheatland Ferry

Salem, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of McMinnville

McMinnville

Oregon

Places 3

Related Places

  • Schorfheide, Germany

    Finowfurt Aviation Museum

    This former Soviet military base has over 10 original aircraft and an enormous amount of memorabilia on display.

  • Hudson, Massachusetts

    American Heritage Museum

    One of the largest public collection of historic armored and military vehicles in North America.

  • Glasgow, Scotland

    Spitfire LA198

    An icon of the Battle of Britain is frozen in flight in a grand Victorian museum.

  • Vintage aircraft from the Erickson Collection

    Madras, Oregon

    Erickson Aircraft Collection

    An old World War II hangar holds 20 vintage aircraft and the rare opportunity to take a ride in a 1940s warbird.

  • Ford TriMotor Plane

    Port Clinton, Ohio

    Liberty Aviation Museum

    Inside an airport, visitors can explore this museum where history takes flight.

  • The WWII planes lie within the jungle around the abandoned runway.

    Talasea, Papua New Guinea

    Talasea Airstrip

    Two World War II aircraft lie within the jungle around this abandoned runway.

  • Singapore in use, pulling a passenger train.

    Rutland, England

    The Singapore

    A locomotive that was captured as a prisoner of war is now recognized as a WWII memorial.

  • A small flying boat model at the museum.

    Foynes, Ireland

    Foynes Flying Boat Museum

    The world's only flying boat museum honors a small Irish village that sent 20th-century aviation to new heights.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.