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Spruce goose (Read 1319 times)
Nov 2nd, 2005 at 4:29pm

TacitBlue   Offline
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Reply #1 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 2:54am

H   Offline
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The 1st time? It was my understanding that it was the only time.  ???
 
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Reply #2 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 3:29am

ozzy72   Offline
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Well that was the first time H... and the last Grin
 

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Reply #3 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 4:07am

Scorpiоn   Offline
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As I understand it, there was much scrutiny about whether She would ever get into the air, and Hughes only flew Her when all but one reporter left.  Any reason why Hughes was so allergic to the media?  (Although I doubt I'd be much different) Tongue
 

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Reply #4 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 4:12am

H   Offline
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It's bad enough to be grounded... but permanently dry-docked; I've heard people complain about airfares... try a single $23M flight (and consider that it was a 1940's rate)! Tongue
Quote:
Any reason why Hughes was so allergic to the media?  (Although I doubt I'd be much different) Tongue
Rather think you answered your own question. Wink
 
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Reply #5 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 4:16am

ozzy72   Offline
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But unlike the rest of us mortals Howard could afford it Grin
 

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Reply #6 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 4:19am

H   Offline
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Quote:
But unlike the rest of us mortals Howard could afford it Grin
Of course, you and I weren't even around to afford anything back then, let alone now. Roll Eyes
 
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Reply #7 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 5:53am

ozzy72   Offline
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My dad was but he was just out of nappies at that time Grin
 

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Reply #8 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 12:57pm

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Your dad was able to afford it when he was just out of nappies Ozzy???

Pretty cool 8)

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Reply #9 - Nov 3rd, 2005 at 2:37pm

Theis   Offline
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it flew three times!






























The first, only and last time! Grin Grin Grin
 

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Reply #10 - Nov 4th, 2005 at 12:07am

H   Offline
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Quote:
it flew three times! The first, only and last time! Grin Grin Grin
Then it flew at least five times since that means it also flew "no other" time as well as the "one" time (at least six if not equating "single" as "one"). Roll Eyes 8)
 
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Reply #11 - Nov 4th, 2005 at 4:53am

Hagar   Offline
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The story goes that Mr Hughes flew the Goose during a break in a trial accusing him of cheating the US Government out of millions of dollars. The fact that it actually flew effectively silenced his critics & the case was dropped. It's been suggested that the experience scared him so much that he never attempted it again & wouldn't allow anyone else to do so. I don't know how true that is.

I went all the way to LA partly to see the Spruce Goose in its air conditioned hangar only to find that it had been moved a couple of weeks beforehand. The chap in the ticket office collapsed with a fit of the giggles when I complained that they did this without asking my permission. Roll Eyes Cheesy
 

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Reply #12 - Nov 4th, 2005 at 2:12pm

dcunning30   Offline
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I seen it.  I found actually viewing it as anticlimatic.  Seeing the soviet sub was more interesting IMHO.
 

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Reply #13 - Nov 5th, 2005 at 12:11am

RichieB16   Offline
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I got to see it a few years ago when it was first put on display in McMinnville, Oregon and it was an amazing site.  I have been dying to go and see it again but haven't had the chance (its a couple hours from my house).

Quote:
It's been suggested that the experience scared him so much that he never attempted it again & wouldn't allow anyone else to do so.

I always heard that it flew very well, I heard that he claimed that it took off without him planning on it.  Although I don't believe that, that was his claim.  I know that the FAA (or whoever certified aircraft back then) had told him NOT to fly it because they felt it was unsafe.  So, this claim could have been to keep him out om trouble.

But, I've never heard thart flying it scared him.
 
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Reply #14 - Nov 5th, 2005 at 6:20am

Hagar   Offline
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But, I've never heard thart flying it scared him.

That surprises me. Maybe time & various documentaries & films on the subject of this fascinating character have clouded the issue. As with many other similar events it's become more of a legend than fact. The 'Spruce Goose' was actually built mainly of birch & many people thought of it as a 'flying lumberyard'. It was well behind schedule & no longer required, becoming an embarrassing 'white elephant' to the government & Hughes himself. It's debatable whether that famous hop on November 2, 1947 (two whole years after the end of WWII which it had been intended for) could be considered a real flight at all as it would still have been in "ground effect". I can't see how anyone could comment on its handling qualities after a short hop or say that it flew well. Only Hughes himself would have known anything about that & he wasn't telling.

There were many theories as to why Hughes never flew it again although by doing so he had effectively silenced his many critics & brought an end to the Federal investigation into his business affairs, many of which were dubious to say the least. This was probably a convenient end to the whole embarrassing affair. He had been accused of cheating the US Government out of millions of dollars & although extremely wealthy this was a very serious charge indeed. I think he was extremely lucky to get away with it. It was suggested that there was a noticeable & unexplained vibration & lack of control effectiveness which worried him during the test. It's also been suggested that it was considerably underpowered. Don't forget it was designed to carry up to 700 fully equipped troops & would have been lightly loaded during the "test flight".  I've also seen it mentioned that the Long Beach Harbor Authority had refused permission for it to leave harbour so the testing was confined to the harbour itself. Even so, the Harbor Authority impounded the aircraft following the first & only flight but this had achieved the desired result so was of no importance. Hughes never commented on it in public & if questioned would answer with "What do you think?"
 

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Reply #15 - Nov 5th, 2005 at 1:23pm

RichieB16   Offline
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I always heard that there were reasons why we legally wasn't supposed to fly it-but that may not be true.  He was an interesting character, it seems to me that he liked to keep people guessing (which is why the real truth is not known for sure).

I do know that he spent millions of his own dollars to complete it after the program had been cancelled.

Whatever the reason, its an amazing site and anyone who gets the chance to see it should.  I was very impressed!   Smiley
 
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Reply #16 - Nov 7th, 2005 at 8:57pm

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I highly recommend the movie "The Aviator".  Great movie and the DVD has special features about Howard Hughes and aviation on it.  Lots of flying and cool planes.

Jim
 

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Reply #17 - Nov 8th, 2005 at 9:45am

TacitBlue   Offline
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I almost forgot about this topic.. Here's an interesting fact- According to Bob Hoovers book, the Spruce Goose was kept in flying condition for many years after that "flight". Fresh oil was circulated through the engines, and the props were turned every day. Sounds to me like Hughs wanted to fly it again, but either never got around to it, or couldn't work up the nerve.
 

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Reply #18 - Nov 8th, 2005 at 10:01am

Hagar   Offline
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Quote:
I almost forgot about this topic.. Here's an interesting fact- According to Bob Hoovers book, the Spruce Goose was kept in flying condition for many years after that "flight". Fresh oil was circulated through the engines, and the props were turned every day. Sounds to me like Hughs wanted to fly it again, but either never got around to it, or couldn't work up the nerve.

You might not have noticed the topic on this subject in the Specific Aircraft Types forum where someone posted this link. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3897/is_200406/ai_n9455603#continue

I think this is the most likely explanation. The author is talking to Rae Hopper, the general manager of Hughes Tools, who was one of the people aboard the Hercules on that test flight. Quote:
"Thank you for sharing that great story with me, Mr. Hopper. Do you believe he will fly the Hercules again?"

Hopper smiled and said, "Just between you and me, Richard, the Hercules has had its day. It will never fly again."

I must have looked like a kid whose hero had just fallen off his horse. "But why is he having all that work done and spending all that money on it?"

Hopper looked at me. "Did you build model airplanes when you were a kid?"

I nodded.

"Did you ever build one that you really liked and kept?"

I nodded again.

"Well; that's the way Howard Hughes feels about the Hercules. He built it, and he flew it. He knows it will never fly again, but he's going keep it and pretend that some day, he will fly it again."

Crews worked on the Hercules in its climate-controlled, guarded hangar for nearly 30 years until Hughes' death on April 5, 1976.
 

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Reply #19 - Nov 8th, 2005 at 11:55pm
Flt.Lt.Andrew   Ex Member

 
Hughes was a crazy mofo. He spent his last days in Mexico with Mormons wearing shoeboxes!



A.
 
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Reply #20 - Nov 9th, 2005 at 5:47am

Hagar   Offline
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Quote:
Hughes was a crazy mofo. He spent his last days in Mexico with Mormons wearing shoeboxes!

A.

I can think of worse ways to live. Howard Hughes was one of life's real characters which is why people will always be interested in him. He was an extemely wealthy man who in later life became an obsessive compulsive. It's not unusual for people who have everything to act a little differently to 'normal' people but at least he put his wealth to practical use. What he did during his later years is a little hazy but I reckon he'd done far more during his life than most of us mere mortals can only dream of.

Quote:
I highly recommend the movie "The Aviator".  Great movie and the DVD has special features about Howard Hughes and aviation on it.  Lots of flying and cool planes.

Jim

I keep meaning to watch this film but I'm not convinced it will be any more accurate than most things that come out of Hollywood.
 

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Reply #21 - Nov 9th, 2005 at 8:18am

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i found hughes involvement in "deep sea mining" much more interesting.

 

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Reply #22 - Nov 9th, 2005 at 8:24am

Hagar   Offline
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i found hughes involvement in "deep sea mining" much more interesting.

I was told during a visit to Las Vegas that Hughes who had a home there had proposed installing huge extractor fans in the surrounding mountains to disperse the permanent smog haze that hovers over the city. Although he offered to do this at his own expense it was turned down by the city councillors.
 

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Reply #23 - Nov 9th, 2005 at 9:57am

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Quote:
I was told during a visit to Las Vegas that Hughes who had a home there had proposed installing huge extractor fans in the surrounding mountains to disperse the permanent smog haze that hovers over the city. Although he offered to do this at his own expense it was turned down by the city councillors.


didn't hear of that
but my first thought would be that it would propably affect the enviroment in unpredictable ways
 

the reasonable man adjusts to his souroundings, while the unreasonable man insists on adjusting his souroundings to him.&&&&therefore all progress is due to the unreasonable man.
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Reply #24 - Nov 9th, 2005 at 10:38am

Hagar   Offline
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Quote:
didn't hear of that
but my first thought would be that it would propably affect the enviroment in unpredictable ways

I got the impression that the general concensus now is that it was quite feasible & would have been very effective. It would also have been a great deal cheaper at the time he proposed it. The main objection to it was that tunneling through the mountains would have spoiled the general environment but if this had been done as he proposed it would have been hardly noticeable when finished.
 

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Reply #25 - Nov 9th, 2005 at 10:43am

dcunning30   Offline
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Quote:
i found hughes involvement in "deep sea mining" much more interesting.




He he he he!

Might you be referring to Project Jennifer?   Wink

http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/jennifer.htm

BTW, Blind Man's Bluff is an excellent read.
 

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Reply #26 - Nov 9th, 2005 at 1:44pm

beaky   Offline
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Poor old Howard Hughes... he was one of a kind.
The story I recall about that flight was that:
-He wasn't intending to take off (insurance or shareholder pressure or something; it wasn't really "ready")
-He waited until most reporters had left because a highly-publicised-that is, highly photographed- mishap or general failure would've been financially disastrous (same concerns as above, not to mention the whole Federal case)
-Although it was kept airworthy for a while afterwards, he more or less ordered it grounded... he was notorious for doing that. I have a magazine somewhere with an article quoting one of his pilots; the guy told a few similar tales of Hughes buying or building a plane, flying it once or twice, then parking it somewhere with strict orders to keep it ready to go, but forbidding anyone to fly it. Typically, he would never touch it again...
  I agree that it was probably underpowered for flights at its expected GTW, although being made specifically for transoceanic flights, there'd be plenty of room for a long takeoff run, and she wouldn't have had to climb much.
  She's quite an extraordinary piece of carpentry- love that big bird.
Another interesting tidbit from the article: Hughes was also inclined to take off in the LA area and just bomb right thru the controlled airspace without touching the microphone. Maybe a flunky would call ATC on the phone and advise them to start moving flights around because he was coming; hard to believe he got away with that!
Really sad what became of him; perhaps today he might've been helped.

 

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Reply #27 - Nov 9th, 2005 at 4:12pm

myshelf   Offline
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Quote:
He he he he!

Might you be referring to Project Jennifer?   Wink

http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/jennifer.htm

BTW, Blind Man's Bluff is an excellent read.




yes, and i mean not so much the operation itself. the scientific community jumped on it, throwing around studies about feasability of deep sea mining and colonisation of the seafloor.
 

the reasonable man adjusts to his souroundings, while the unreasonable man insists on adjusting his souroundings to him.&&&&therefore all progress is due to the unreasonable man.
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