In the early 1980’s I went to Los Angeles with my wife for a few days. She went there for her job and on a Sunday afternoon I told her about Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose which was sitting over in the harbor not yet setup for display. When we got there I talked to a couple people there and explained to them that I was a pilot and told them what I knew about Mr. Hughes and they offered to show us around. We had about a 45 minute tour. Absolutely amazing experience for me and my wife. I stood behind the engines in the right wing, sat in the cockpit where Howard sat and walked the entire fuselage. An amazing life experience for me which I will never forget.
As a kid, my dad showed me the goose sitting in a storage area at his work, long Beach naval shipyard. She was dirty, had water in her hull, and had her wings removed. I'll never forget it.
It was Joe Flynn, not Phil Silvers, on McHale’s Navy. A trivial detail in the midst of the great content. I’m sure many of us have seen some of the images you presented, but you showed many, many more than I’ve ever seen. Thanks, Mike!
So pleased you made the episode Mike. ❤ Amazing photos and the story details I never before knew. It is very nice to hear a true recount on this planes development. So much more than the over simplified version that persists such as Hughe's folly. What a remarkable individual he was! Incredible accomplishments from all the people in the various Hughes organizations.
Thanks for this excellent video! I was just at the Evergreen Museum (Oct. 13, 2023) and paid the extra $40 to tour the cockpit...you actually get to sit in the pilot's seat (and wear a Hughes fedora)! First time I visited this museum 20 years ago I was unaware that the Goose was there...I walk in and see this giant aircraft and slowly realize what it was. Tremendous! Thanks again for this awesome video.
My father was an A&P in training at Long Beach and got to see the Goose on it’s one and only flight. He was employed by Bonanza Airlines which eventually became Hughes Airwest. Always loved seeing the flying banana!
I've seen the plane twice at the museum in Oregon. Wondrous sight.Even with the fuselage lower than the floor, the wing pontoons are still at least 15 feet off the floor.
It's very likely that the H-4 wasn't structurally sound, turboprops would have simply exacerbated any structural issues. Jet engines made the XF-11 obsolete before it ever flew.
My great Uncle, Glenn Odekirk (Ode'), worked closely with Howard Hughes on all his projects, including the Hercules. I have several wood laminated structural test profiles my uncle engineered. Great video.
@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 In the movie Aviator staring Leonardo DiCaprio, Howard asked Ode' to mount the cameras here, smooth out the revits, and pick out the steering wheel. My uncle had a great sense of humor and enjoyed being around kids. I miss him dearly.
Great video Mike. My dad was an engineer on the HK-1 from late 1945 until 1960 (yes, Howard Hughes continued development on the plane at least that long). Dad was supposed to be on-board the day of the flight, but was up late the night before, making preparations for the taxi tests, and was told to get some rest. Touring the plane with him in McMinnville was a treasured memory. He would have enjoyed your video.
Although I have lived in CA since my folks moved here in '56. I grew up in Carlton, OR...which is only six miles from McMinnville, which is near where the Spruce Goose is now located. Because I try to attend the McMenamins UFO convention every year, which is held in McMinnville, I get to revisit my hometown and the Spruce Goose at the same time.
I worked for Hughes Aircraft for most of my aerospace career, and some of my co-workers had worked on that aircraft. I was told that engine tests on the HK-1 were done monthly right up until Howard died.
Finally found a decent video on the spruce goose ive been flying it on MSFS2020 and was looking around for a decent history video on it as it's a HUGE aircraft and images alone don't do it justice till you get to fly it in the simulator.
Having recently visited Evergreen Museum in McMinnville we were told a control lock had been left on one side of the elevator resulting in torquing the tail enough to cause damage. This was only discovered by reviewing maintenance logs.
I appreciate your art and your commentary and the evolution of your online presentation while still maintaining the human touch. You relate your own experiences as a kid and adult as well as leaving in minor “hiccups” in the commentary. The only thing better would be an in-person presentation and discussion, direct personal interaction.
Great video. Two small quibbles: Hughes died flying back in extremis from Acapulco to Houston for medical treatment. He may have died in Mexico, but was reported to expire in US airspace. Second, the power to weight ratio was such that the plane was grossly underpowered. Mushing along in ground effect may have been the closest to flying it was capable of doing. A flight around Long Beach would never have happened. It was said Hughes of scared of the plane, but so tied to his ego that he spent millions storing the aircraft for the next 30 years.
"You'll need at least 75, Howard, and 15 on the flaps"..... I'll never forget when that hermetically sealed, damn near pressurized blue Plymouth "Lysolmobile" hit the Barrett-Jackson auction block!
The Hughes Goose is in the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville Oregon. I would suggest everyone go to that museum for the variety of aircraft and spacecraft on display there.
Nicely done…fascinating aircraft…I love the tie in to the Avro C102 jetliner. I spoke to a Docent (supposedly was there) back in 2006 regarding why the short flight and why it didn’t fly again and there was mention that the tail was flexing quite heavily and Howard was warned to put it down. He pointed out some bracing added in the area at a later time to help with this. He also mentioned Howard was a little surprised at the lift off. Not sure if this was factual though as I have never read it elsewhere.
Thanks for the comment, and yes, I'd heard that after the flight, Hughes said to his Chief Engineer and fellow pilot Glenn Odekirk, "It really ballooned-up with the flaps!"
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 seriously nice museum. Good for the aviation fans and the kids too (waterside that starts in the hull of an old evergreen 747).
Wow, Mike - two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Many of these photos are new to me - it's an incredible collection of an unforgettable event. Thanks for putting this up - I look forward to more Howard Robard Hughes stories. - Cheers
I heard a story that the rudder was broken during the flight. Have you heard this story and is it correct? Thanks for the fabulous photographs and story. I saw it in long beach in the 1980s it is enormous indeed.
I grew up right next to the port. I remember being 8 years old and my older brothers telling me; just a bicycle ride away was the largest airplane ever built and no one can see it. Being 8 years old I thought that was an evil criminal act to hide that thing from everyone.
Ah the man the legend... Howard Hughes, and the iconic Spruce Goose! I Still remember watching the movie "The Aviatior" about him as well very good film for any Aviation buff! I also loved how you made a nod to when Hughes was interested in purchasing the Avro Canada C-102 Jetliner for TWA; an interesting parallel to that too BTW on August 14 1951, the USAF had actually shown interest in purchasing the C-102 Jetliner since it was previously flown to Wright Patterson AFB and their tests pilots were able to see it and fly it themselves on various exercises; and they absolutely loved it! And so as a result The USAF as well as the Aircraft and Weapons Board made a request in a document for an offer to purchase 12 Jetliners, for use in the USAF; specifically for refueling and training purposes, sadly this offer never fully made it to AVRO combined with the C-102 Jetliner program being abandoned for increased development of the CF-100 Canuck for the Korean War effort. I Also loved how you included in the photo of Spruce Goose being displayed alongside the RMS Queen Mary; a truly stunning lady (I just as much of a buff/sucker for Ocean Liners, just as I am with aircraft lol ;) ). Well done Mike! regards, Noah.
Super interesting Mike, thanks for putting all of this together. I have always been fascinated by the SG. Fortunately, I live only a couple of hours from the Evergreen Air and Space Museum so I get to visit the SG often. It's really a great museum, I think it gets overlooked due to it's less than famous location. Have a great week. -David
Questions..... 1.Why did Kaiser pull out the program? 2. Why try and build a seaplane so far away? Why not build it on location? 3. What did Hughes Aircraft work on other than than the XF-11 & H-4 during the war? 4. Why didn't established flying boat makers like Consolidated or Martin not try this? Too busy? 5. Could it have flow out of ground effect? 🤔
1. Kaiser pulled out of the program due to Hughes' being a perfectionist causing delays to the project 2. There is no hangar big enough to house the construction of the Hercules, if you can find photos of the plane during its final assemble, it was just housed on a make shift hangar. Also, the headquarters of Hughes Aircraft was in LA California 3. Hughes first made a fighter prototype named the D2, a twinboom design, it was destroyed on a fire. Next was the XF-11, a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft, also a twin boom design with contra rotating propellers, it crashed during its test flight with Hughes at the control, barely alive after the crash, after that is OCD condition worsen which we can also attribute to the delay of the H-4 4. Consolidate and Martin are busy with other aircraft at the time and it was Kaiser's original idea who then app[reached Hughes 5. It was talked about that Hughes didn't have the intention of flying the H-4 that day, many say that the rough seas that day might have caused the craft to break apart, personally I would say that it can fly given the time for it to be further developed, one test run isn't enough to finely tune or update the aircraft, but I would personally say it can PS I would highly recommend watching The Aviator
"....airborne for 1 mile, 1 min. and 20 seconds...." That equates to about 40 MPH, well below the minimum flight speed for this plane, especially since it lifted off at 95 MPH. You did mention 'stable flight', implying that the plane was level for that minute, the rest of the time either climbing or 'landing'.. Aside from that and the Joe Flynn miscast, excellent presentation. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. Bill P.
I've had many comments about this, and the "One minute and twenty seconds" account came from an interview with one of the Hughes crewmen years later. The 95 mph was "indicated airspeed" into a 20-knot headwind at takeoff, and the aircraft slowed to 70 mph for landing, but even that doesn't equate to the 01:20 time. I'm guessing that was the time from the start of the takeoff run to the landing which would make more sense. Thanks for watching!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 No worries, time distorts everything, especially memories ! No matter what, this was a great plane built by a great man, even after his partner (Henry J. Kaiser) walked away from it ! Excellent presentation, thank you for posting ! Bill P.
I apologize for being a stereotypical Canadian. The division of Avro which designed and built the C-102 Jetliner was Avro Canada Ltd. (Malton/Downsview) Some sources indicate Hughes leased the 102 for almost 6 months, but I have no idea how much he flew it out of Culver City. His requests to obtain a license for manufacturing was denied by the Canada Government, and Avro was told to stick to CF-100 production in light of the Korean and Cold War requirements.
a brilant man...who was made out to be many other things that were "less" complementary...by the press & the goverment...!...we have Howard Hughes to thank for "many " things...!....in avation as well as other facets of life...!....R.I.P....Howard...&...thank u...!
Believe it! or not? Iwas an Electrician re modeling the Spuced Gosse's DOME, and I got to demo the old lighting and temp in light up inside the top catwalk Over the Sound Stage INSIDE the top of the Dome while they Built and Filmed "The Black Pearl" for the first movie! in Like Three Days? from trucks to in the Can! then it was a Halloween set. I tried to get some of the Heavy Timbers from the floor pit where she rested, I failed. This HISTORY was Not Lost on Me! as a 3rd Gen Californian. Gramma Honey worked for Being in WWII as an Executive Secretary and her family survived the Long Beach Quake.
Our father would take us on scenic drives around Port of Long Beach, in the mid 60's to the old Pierpoint Landing nearby, and would continue on towards Pier E, and point out the H4 hanger building, a secure fenced facility , told us about the Spruce Goose inside. I later toured the Dome in 78' , an amazing sight.. later we moved to Long Beach in 89' to 1000 E Ocean. A 3 story apt building that is in the photo as the H4 turns on its final taxi run before its historic flight. The last 2 days, an old Ford Tri- motor aircraft wss flying over the city, its motors unmistakable drone heard above during several passes over the city & port skyline. Thanks for the informative video and vintage photos. 11/3/23 viewed video.👍🏻
Didn't know Hughes had so many great accomplishments! Surprised that he was also the first to fly a jet airliner in the U.S. Like a well known song title "what a man"🎶❤️
Thanks for another great, informative video Mr. Machat! Thanks for all the interesting pics! Even as a bit of a Hughes afficianado, I had never seen the photos of the Goose from the chase boat and from the helicopter. Very interesting stuff! As a bit of nitpicking, Howard did pass away in flight, on a Learjet 24B on April 5, 1976, but actually enroute from his penthouse suite at the Acapulco Princess Hotel to Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX, instead of from Vegas to L.A., as mentioned in the video.
The Hughes Hercules accomplished nothing in it’s life. It was little more than a wooden prototype mock-up that only flew once briefly. Compare that to the Martin Mars which served faithfully for decades both as Naval transport and Water Bombers.
Actually, Howard Hughes died of kidney failure over the gulf of Mexico en route from his hotel hideaway in Acapulco to Methodist hospital in Houston on 5 April 1976
Thank you for this, I feel lucky to have seen it, in the Dome,, later in my life, working for a Production company, our team was the first to place Classic Cars inside the famed Dome, always cool, thanks again from Huntington Beach CA 🇺🇸
Thanks so much Mike. An Amazing job. I learned more from your 20 minute production than all the other productions combined thatI have seen in the past. And all the gorgeous B&W photos of “the test.” I really enjoyed the three taken at virtually the same moment from different locations. Nice respectful treatment of Hughes, thank you. He was a multi disciplinary, multi career person before we had such terms for folk of Hughes’talent. Tanks also to Max...and for your outro salute to Max -perhaps unintentional, but I don’t think so. You timing and wording, “as always” -slight pause?- to which I said “Model On” and started to salute as you said “Take Care.” If there is an award for TH-cam Docs this one gets my vote. Thanks again.
Mike, you continue to amaze me by your ability to come up with details that I have never heard before on subjects I have studied significantly. I have always wondered where the pictures and videos of the flight were shot from. I've never heard about the Hughes PT boat. That's really cool that it went on to be the star of McHale's Navy, which I used to watch back in the day. Also in all of my reading I don't recall seeing or understanding the significance of the hydraulic boosted flight controls only being installed for the flaps and elevator. That explains better than anything else why the flight was simply straight ahead with no turns. I always get excited about media that can explain the answers to questions I've long held, and you are one of the best at doing that.
Thanks Russ, 'appreciate the comment. While working at Douglas in the late 1970s, a fellow artist (Dave Snow, credited at the end) was deeply involved in the effort to save the 'Goose from being chopped into pieces and sent to various air museums. As a result, a group of us were allowed into the sealed hangar to tour the airplane in 1979, and I was able to get much information through that effort. Despite his demons, Hughes was a huge hero in my estimation. The engineering involved in the H-4 was far ahead of its time - and all with slide rules in those days. Thanks for watching!
It makes a person wonder what he could have done if he was given the aluminum to build this plane. He fought for years to get the material before he finally did agree to settle on the wood, just to get it done. With all the changed that had to be made once he realized he wasn't going to get the material he actually wanted. My uncle met Hughes. He worked on this plane. He was an engineer apprentice. It had different aspect and plans at first when it was to be built with aluminum. It had to be almost completely re designed when they had no choice but to use wood. The only thing they actually kept was the look and size of the plane from the outside.
Wonderful story about the Spruce Goose. Incredible photo chronology. Too bad no sound exists of that one and only historical flight. Eight 4360s would really be something to hear at takeoff power. A small piece of trivia associated with the Spruce Goose: Hughes Project Manager William L. Berry, who accompanied Howard Hughes on that one flight, is the father of Jan Berry, member of the 60s Surf Rock duo, Jan and Dean. The late singer was just six years old at the time. Thanks, Mike.
Rumor has it he found tissue boxes as the best application as footwear and daylight was highly over rated if I'm not mistaken he also had some issues with game shows also Phil silvers was in the Phil silvers show
There is a mistake around 17:05 on the commentary!!! You say Hughes died on a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. WRONG - I was one of the Pilots of the Lear Jet he died on and the flight was from Acapulco to Houston (KIAH)! April 4, 1976
Thank you Mr. Machat for a very interesting and detailed history of this aircraft. Really enjoyed it. A little bit of history; when the C-102 Jetliner was in the USA the word CANADA was added after the word AVRO. A bit of Canadian pride with that.
I toured the Boeing plant and watched them build 747s, then went to see the H-1. The H-1 is truly huge and dominates the hangar/museum. There are lots of great planes to see at McMinnville.
Trivia du Jour: Interesting to know that Hughes' hangar was the largest glued buildign in the world. Here's your trivia: in 1905 the largest building in the world was the Siberia factory of the Singer Sewing Machine Company -- built by the father of a friend of mine.
Wow, this was excellent. The commentary, research, presentation and photography really kept my attention. I was lucky enough to fulfill a lifelong dream and visit the Spruce Goose in McMinnville in 2022 during my first year on the road. If you are in an RV, you can boon dock in the parking lot and check out the museum the next day. After a long while of gawking, I asked the staff to let me have access to some restricted areas. When they saw my medium format Hasselblad film camera, they quickly opened doors. I have some coveted images from that day. Bravo and well done, Mike!
I went to see this piece of art in Long Beach in the 80s. I do have a doubt about where Howard passed away, I heard that it was during a flight from Acapulco to Los Angeles, not Las Vegas. I know that he lived in the Acapulco Princess Hotel for quite some time, riding elevators as a kid, I never forget being greeted by uniformed man wearing white gloves as we stayed at the Princess. By the way, the Princess was destroyed 3 days ago by Hurricane Otis.......
It was pointed out to me (several times now) that the flight on which Hughes died was from Mexico to the Hughes Medical Foundation in Houston, TX. Thanks for watching!
An excellent documentary; but the math makes no sense. If the aircraft started to fly at 95 mph and was airborne for 1 min. 20 secs. It must have flown far further than just 1 mile. That time and distance gives an average speed of just 45 mph, which is obviously wrong. The distance flown must have been closer to 2 miles for the math to be correct.
I've had many comments about this, and the "One minute and twenty seconds" account came from an interview with one of the Hughes crewmen years later. The 95 mph was "indicated airspeed" into a 20-knot headwind at takeoff, and the aircraft slowed to 70 mph for landing, but even that doesn't equate to the 01:20 time. I'm guessing that was the time from the start of the takeoff run to the landing which would make more sense. Thanks for watching!
In the early 1980’s I went to Los Angeles with my wife for a few days. She went there for her job and on a Sunday afternoon I told her about Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose which was sitting over in the harbor not yet setup for display. When we got there I talked to a couple people there and explained to them that I was a pilot and told them what I knew about Mr. Hughes and they offered to show us around. We had about a 45 minute tour. Absolutely amazing experience for me and my wife. I stood behind the engines in the right wing, sat in the cockpit where Howard sat and walked the entire fuselage. An amazing life experience for me which I will never forget.
Wow what a great expeeience
As a kid, my dad showed me the goose sitting in a storage area at his work, long Beach naval shipyard. She was dirty, had water in her hull, and had her wings removed. I'll never forget it.
Wonderful story, thanks!
"and I explained I was a pilot"....lol, who gave a fuck? "Oh I wanted to condescend on everyone else that I am a pilot".
It was Joe Flynn, not Phil Silvers, on McHale’s Navy. A trivial detail in the midst of the great content. I’m sure many of us have seen some of the images you presented, but you showed many, many more than I’ve ever seen. Thanks, Mike!
Some company, Atlantis perhaps, needs to repop the model kit of the PT-73 as used on McHale's Navy. Airfix makes a 1/72 scale kit of the Vosper MTB.
Tim Conway was McHale's sidekick and co star
Ensign Parker. @@PhildoenMejico-zj8ti
@@PhildoenMejico-zj8ti I loved Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on The Carol Burnett Show. Hilarious.
Good catch. Did you know this or have to look it up?
So pleased you made the episode Mike. ❤ Amazing photos and the story details I never before knew. It is very nice to hear a true recount on this planes development. So much more than the over simplified version that persists such as Hughe's folly. What a remarkable individual he was! Incredible accomplishments from all the people in the various Hughes organizations.
Glad you enjoyed it, and I agree on your last points!
Thanks for this excellent video! I was just at the Evergreen Museum (Oct. 13, 2023) and paid the extra $40 to tour the cockpit...you actually get to sit in the pilot's seat (and wear a Hughes fedora)! First time I visited this museum 20 years ago I was unaware that the Goose was there...I walk in and see this giant aircraft and slowly realize what it was. Tremendous! Thanks again for this awesome video.
Well said sir !!!!!!!!!!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Fascinating history of the Spruce Goose👍. So much I never knew. Gotta give Hughes credit for having far-fetched dreams he could pursue!
Absolutely!
Howard Hughes was a superstar before we had superstars. What a spectacular life he led!!!
my family distantly related through my mothers father, but we got none of the money, only the insanity. lol
My uncle was one of the attorneys that closed HH will ! That’s all I got ! His firm did bonus him a 911 Turbo tho ! I was a little kid !
HH grew up in Houston Texas and was the first person in that city to own a motorcycle.
My father was an A&P in training at Long Beach and got to see the Goose on it’s one and only flight. He was employed by Bonanza Airlines which eventually became Hughes Airwest. Always loved seeing the flying banana!
I'm 70 and in the late 1970's I took the tour of the plane and walked on the wing. You have no idea how awesome that plane was 😎.
Great interesting video.
I was lucky to tour in Long Beach. Long time ago. Its a huge machine.
That was great Mike...I didn't want the video to end! Thanks for a great way to start the week. 👍👍👍
I've seen the plane twice at the museum in Oregon. Wondrous sight.Even with the fuselage lower than the floor, the wing pontoons are still at least 15 feet off the floor.
Great informative episode Mike, but Phil Silvers?
It was Joe Flynn, sorry.
And Tim Conway@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782
Can you imagine the H-4 (and XF-11 and XF-12) with turboprops!?
It's very likely that the H-4 wasn't structurally sound, turboprops would have simply exacerbated any structural issues. Jet engines made the XF-11 obsolete before it ever flew.
My great Uncle, Glenn Odekirk (Ode'), worked closely with Howard Hughes on all his projects, including the Hercules. I have several wood laminated structural test profiles my uncle engineered. Great video.
Honored to have you watch this and 'appreciate the comment, thanks!
@celebratingaviationwithmik9782
In the movie Aviator staring Leonardo DiCaprio, Howard asked Ode' to mount the cameras here, smooth out the revits, and pick out the steering wheel. My uncle had a great sense of humor and enjoyed being around kids. I miss him dearly.
Great video Mike. My dad was an engineer on the HK-1 from late 1945 until 1960 (yes, Howard Hughes continued development on the plane at least that long). Dad was supposed to be on-board the day of the flight, but was up late the night before, making preparations for the taxi tests, and was told to get some rest. Touring the plane with him in McMinnville was a treasured memory. He would have enjoyed your video.
Although I have lived in CA since my folks moved here in '56. I grew up in Carlton, OR...which is only six miles from McMinnville, which is near where the Spruce Goose is now located.
Because I try to attend the McMenamins UFO convention every year, which is held in McMinnville, I get to revisit my hometown and the Spruce Goose at the same time.
I worked for Hughes Aircraft for most of my aerospace career, and some of my co-workers had worked on that aircraft. I was told that engine tests on the HK-1 were done monthly right up until Howard died.
Interesting info, thanks!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Yes, the aircraft was maintained in full flight-ready status until Hughes passing.
Great informative video Mike, thank you
Thanks for watching!
Finally found a decent video on the spruce goose ive been flying it on MSFS2020 and was looking around for a decent history video on it as it's a HUGE aircraft and images alone don't do it justice till you get to fly it in the simulator.
So much new info learned here! Thanks Mike. I think we all wish this plane had a chance to fly a proper flight.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!
Having recently visited Evergreen Museum in McMinnville we were told a control lock had been left on one side of the elevator resulting in torquing the tail enough to cause damage. This was only discovered by reviewing maintenance logs.
I appreciate your art and your commentary and the evolution of your online presentation while still maintaining the human touch. You relate your own experiences as a kid and adult as well as leaving in minor “hiccups” in the commentary. The only thing better would be an in-person presentation and discussion, direct personal interaction.
Appreciate the comment, thanks, and we are planning live stream conversations in the future.
His drill bit company called the Baker Hughes try cone was one of the best bits made. They were not the cheapest but one of the best.
The Pratt & Whitney 4360 WASP Major, as many of y'all probably already know, is the same engine that was used in six turning on the B-36 Peacemaker
Great video. Two small quibbles: Hughes died flying back in extremis from Acapulco to Houston for medical treatment. He may have died in Mexico, but was reported to expire in US airspace. Second, the power to weight ratio was such that the plane was grossly underpowered. Mushing along in ground effect may have been the closest to flying it was capable of doing. A flight around Long Beach would never have happened. It was said Hughes of scared of the plane, but so tied to his ego that he spent millions storing the aircraft for the next 30 years.
Hughes died en route to Houston from Mexico!
Phil Silvers wasn't on McHale' Navy!
Otherwise, good film.
Thanks for the shout out Mike.
This is such a professional made and informative video that I subscribed to your channel, waiting for more to come.
You'll have many wonderful treasures to explore in Mike's previously uploaded videos. Have fun!
@@bosoerjadi2838 thnx.
Thanks for watching and great to have you aboard. Appreciate the comment!
This is wonderful, another gem, thank you Mr M!
Many thanks, Barbara!
"You'll need at least 75, Howard, and 15 on the flaps".....
I'll never forget when that hermetically sealed, damn near pressurized blue Plymouth "Lysolmobile" hit the Barrett-Jackson auction block!
The Hughes Goose is in the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville Oregon. I would suggest everyone go to that museum for the variety of aircraft and spacecraft on display there.
The plane was amazing I got within 20 feet of it as it was reassembled in Oregon.
Another great video Mike! Outstanding content!
Many thanks!
Nicely done…fascinating aircraft…I love the tie in to the Avro C102 jetliner. I spoke to a Docent (supposedly was there) back in 2006 regarding why the short flight and why it didn’t fly again and there was mention that the tail was flexing quite heavily and Howard was warned to put it down. He pointed out some bracing added in the area at a later time to help with this. He also mentioned Howard was a little surprised at the lift off. Not sure if this was factual though as I have never read it elsewhere.
Thanks for the comment, and yes, I'd heard that after the flight, Hughes said to his Chief Engineer and fellow pilot Glenn Odekirk, "It really ballooned-up with the flaps!"
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 seriously nice museum. Good for the aviation fans and the kids too (waterside that starts in the hull of an old evergreen 747).
What an amazing aircraft and pilot . Truly many years ahead of the rest. Great informative video.. thank you.
Many thanks!
Wow, Mike - two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Many of these photos are new to me - it's an incredible collection of an unforgettable event. Thanks for putting this up - I look forward to more Howard Robard Hughes stories.
- Cheers
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
I heard a story that the rudder was broken during the flight. Have you heard this story and is it correct? Thanks for the fabulous photographs and story. I saw it in long beach in the 1980s it is enormous indeed.
I thought the version of the Wasp Major 4360 was 4,000 HP and not 3,000 HP… just a tiny detail and I could be wrong.
The R-4360 was rated between 3,000 and 3,500 horsepower depending on the specific model. Thanks for watching!
Mike, not to nit-pick, but McHale's Navy starred Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway and Joe Flynn (not Phil SIlvers). Great video BTW.
Yes, that's correct.
I was blessed to see it before it left Long Beach....
Thank You for all your hard work, Huges was a Genius!
I grew up right next to the port. I remember being 8 years old and my older brothers telling me; just a bicycle ride away was the largest airplane ever built and no one can see it. Being 8 years old I thought that was an evil criminal act to hide that thing from everyone.
Ah the man the legend... Howard Hughes, and the iconic Spruce Goose! I Still remember watching the movie "The Aviatior" about him as well very good film for any Aviation buff! I also loved how you made a nod to when Hughes was interested in purchasing the Avro Canada C-102 Jetliner for TWA; an interesting parallel to that too BTW on August 14 1951, the USAF had actually shown interest in purchasing the C-102 Jetliner since it was previously flown to Wright Patterson AFB and their tests pilots were able to see it and fly it themselves on various exercises; and they absolutely loved it! And so as a result The USAF as well as the Aircraft and Weapons Board made a request in a document for an offer to purchase 12 Jetliners, for use in the USAF; specifically for refueling and training purposes, sadly this offer never fully made it to AVRO combined with the C-102 Jetliner program being abandoned for increased development of the CF-100 Canuck for the Korean War effort.
I Also loved how you included in the photo of Spruce Goose being displayed alongside the RMS Queen Mary; a truly stunning lady (I just as much of a buff/sucker for Ocean Liners, just as I am with aircraft lol ;) ).
Well done Mike!
regards, Noah.
What a GORGEOUS daughter! Awesome content!
Many thanks!
Super interesting Mike, thanks for putting all of this together. I have always been fascinated by the SG. Fortunately, I live only a couple of hours from the Evergreen Air and Space Museum so I get to visit the SG often. It's really a great museum, I think it gets overlooked due to it's less than famous location. Have a great week.
-David
Questions..... 1.Why did Kaiser pull out the program? 2. Why try and build a seaplane so far away? Why not build it on location? 3. What did Hughes Aircraft work on other than than the XF-11 & H-4 during the war? 4. Why didn't established flying boat makers like Consolidated or Martin not try this? Too busy? 5. Could it have flow out of ground effect? 🤔
1. Kaiser pulled out of the program due to Hughes' being a perfectionist causing delays to the project
2. There is no hangar big enough to house the construction of the Hercules, if you can find photos of the plane during its final assemble, it was just housed on a make shift hangar. Also, the headquarters of Hughes Aircraft was in LA California
3. Hughes first made a fighter prototype named the D2, a twinboom design, it was destroyed on a fire. Next was the XF-11, a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft, also a twin boom design with contra rotating propellers, it crashed during its test flight with Hughes at the control, barely alive after the crash, after that is OCD condition worsen which we can also attribute to the delay of the H-4
4. Consolidate and Martin are busy with other aircraft at the time and it was Kaiser's original idea who then app[reached Hughes
5. It was talked about that Hughes didn't have the intention of flying the H-4 that day, many say that the rough seas that day might have caused the craft to break apart, personally I would say that it can fly given the time for it to be further developed, one test run isn't enough to finely tune or update the aircraft, but I would personally say it can
PS I would highly recommend watching The Aviator
Appreciate your answering these questions, and you are absolutely correct on all points. Many thanks!
"....airborne for 1 mile, 1 min. and 20 seconds...."
That equates to about 40 MPH, well below the minimum flight speed for this plane, especially since it lifted off at 95 MPH.
You did mention 'stable flight', implying that the plane was level for that minute, the rest of the time either climbing or 'landing'..
Aside from that and the Joe Flynn miscast, excellent presentation.
Thank you for taking the time to put this together.
Bill P.
I've had many comments about this, and the "One minute and twenty seconds" account came from an interview with one of the Hughes crewmen years later. The 95 mph was "indicated airspeed" into a 20-knot headwind at takeoff, and the aircraft slowed to 70 mph for landing, but even that doesn't equate to the 01:20 time. I'm guessing that was the time from the start of the takeoff run to the landing which would make more sense. Thanks for watching!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 No worries, time distorts everything, especially memories !
No matter what, this was a great plane built by a great man, even after his partner (Henry J. Kaiser) walked away from it !
Excellent presentation, thank you for posting !
Bill P.
Mike what a great tribute to a great man, Thank You!
I apologize for being a stereotypical Canadian. The division of Avro which designed and built the C-102 Jetliner was Avro Canada Ltd. (Malton/Downsview)
Some sources indicate Hughes leased the 102 for almost 6 months, but I have no idea how much he flew it out of Culver City. His requests to obtain a license for manufacturing was denied by the Canada Government, and Avro was told to stick to CF-100 production in light of the Korean and Cold War requirements.
a brilant man...who was made out to be many other things that were "less" complementary...by the press & the goverment...!...we have Howard Hughes to thank for "many " things...!....in avation as well as other facets of life...!....R.I.P....Howard...&...thank u...!
I see this plane every morning on the way to work…
Informative and enjoyable! A good effort, well done.
Many thanks!
Believe it! or not? Iwas an Electrician re modeling the Spuced Gosse's DOME, and I got to demo the old lighting and temp in light up inside the top catwalk Over the Sound Stage INSIDE the top of the Dome while they Built and Filmed "The Black Pearl" for the first movie! in Like Three Days? from trucks to in the Can! then it was a Halloween set. I tried to get some of the Heavy Timbers from the floor pit where she rested, I failed. This HISTORY was Not Lost on Me! as a 3rd Gen Californian. Gramma Honey worked for Being in WWII as an Executive Secretary and her family survived the Long Beach Quake.
It is a good looking aircraft
Our father would take us on scenic drives around Port of Long Beach, in the mid 60's to the old Pierpoint Landing nearby, and would continue on towards Pier E, and point out the H4 hanger building, a secure fenced facility , told us about the Spruce Goose inside. I later toured the Dome in 78' , an amazing sight.. later we moved to Long Beach in 89' to 1000 E Ocean. A 3 story apt building that is in the photo as the H4 turns on its final taxi run before its historic flight. The last 2 days, an old Ford Tri- motor aircraft wss flying over the city, its motors unmistakable drone heard above during several passes over the city & port skyline. Thanks for the informative video and vintage photos.
11/3/23 viewed video.👍🏻
Didn't know Hughes had so many great accomplishments! Surprised that he was also the first to fly a jet airliner in the U.S. Like a well known song title "what a man"🎶❤️
Thanks for another great, informative video Mr. Machat! Thanks for all the interesting pics! Even as a bit of a Hughes afficianado, I had never seen the photos of the Goose from the chase boat and from the helicopter. Very interesting stuff! As a bit of nitpicking, Howard did pass away in flight, on a Learjet 24B on April 5, 1976, but actually enroute from his penthouse suite at the Acapulco Princess Hotel to Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX, instead of from Vegas to L.A., as mentioned in the video.
Thank you for featuring this extraordinary aircraft! I expect to finally be visiting her in person very soon; it will be well worth the trip.
The Hughes Hercules accomplished nothing in it’s life. It was little more than a wooden prototype mock-up that only flew once briefly. Compare that to the Martin Mars which served faithfully for decades both as Naval transport and Water Bombers.
Actually, Howard Hughes died of kidney failure over the gulf of Mexico en route from his hotel hideaway in Acapulco to Methodist hospital in Houston on 5 April 1976
Thank you for this, I feel lucky to have seen it, in the Dome,, later in my life, working for a Production company, our team was the first to place Classic Cars inside the famed Dome, always cool, thanks again from Huntington Beach CA 🇺🇸
For what it's worth, everybody in the comments calling the Hercules, "spruce goose", is disrespectful to Mr. Hughes. He hated that name.
The goose must fly..a couple (or 4 or 6) good modern turbo prob engines..botta bing..
“spruce goose” ☹️ illegitimi non-Carborundum Mr. Hughes 😇
U didn’t mention Hughes Tool! Oil Drilling tools, bits, etc. Great vid! 👍❤️
I don't know why the Spruce Goose didn't just fly to the Evergreen Museum.
Thanks so much Mike. An Amazing job. I learned more from your 20 minute production than all the other productions combined thatI have seen in the past. And all the gorgeous B&W photos of “the test.” I really enjoyed the three taken at virtually the same moment from different locations. Nice respectful treatment of Hughes, thank you. He was a multi disciplinary, multi career person before we had such terms for folk of Hughes’talent. Tanks also to Max...and for your outro salute to Max -perhaps unintentional, but I don’t think so. You timing and wording, “as always” -slight pause?- to which I said “Model On” and started to salute as you said “Take Care.” If there is an award for TH-cam Docs this one gets my vote. Thanks again.
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
The spruce goose H4.rcules W.oodWII Al where are you Hugues Aircraft TWA
That's a beautiful airplane. Too bad nothing really came of it. A lot of politics screwed up what could have been an incredible success.
It is examples like this that makes you realise how great the Boeing 747 really is.
The Hughes plane was an abject failure.
Mike, you continue to amaze me by your ability to come up with details that I have never heard before on subjects I have studied significantly. I have always wondered where the pictures and videos of the flight were shot from. I've never heard about the Hughes PT boat. That's really cool that it went on to be the star of McHale's Navy, which I used to watch back in the day. Also in all of my reading I don't recall seeing or understanding the significance of the hydraulic boosted flight controls only being installed for the flaps and elevator. That explains better than anything else why the flight was simply straight ahead with no turns. I always get excited about media that can explain the answers to questions I've long held, and you are one of the best at doing that.
Thanks Russ, 'appreciate the comment. While working at Douglas in the late 1970s, a fellow artist (Dave Snow, credited at the end) was deeply involved in the effort to save the 'Goose from being chopped into pieces and sent to various air museums. As a result, a group of us were allowed into the sealed hangar to tour the airplane in 1979, and I was able to get much information through that effort. Despite his demons, Hughes was a huge hero in my estimation. The engineering involved in the H-4 was far ahead of its time - and all with slide rules in those days. Thanks for watching!
Another great video. The photos are amazing. Great work as always.
Many thanks, John!
Hughes was the Elon Musk of his day
Agreed!
It makes a person wonder what he could have done if he was given the aluminum to build this plane. He fought for years to get the material before he finally did agree to settle on the wood, just to get it done. With all the changed that had to be made once he realized he wasn't going to get the material he actually wanted. My uncle met Hughes. He worked on this plane. He was an engineer apprentice. It had different aspect and plans at first when it was to be built with aluminum. It had to be almost completely re designed when they had no choice but to use wood. The only thing they actually kept was the look and size of the plane from the outside.
Wonderful story about the Spruce Goose. Incredible photo chronology. Too bad no sound exists of that one and only historical flight. Eight 4360s would really be something to hear at takeoff power. A small piece of trivia associated with the Spruce Goose: Hughes Project Manager William L. Berry, who accompanied Howard Hughes on that one flight, is the father of Jan Berry, member of the 60s Surf Rock duo, Jan and Dean. The late singer was just six years old at the time. Thanks, Mike.
I've heard sound that was recorded in the cockpit of that aircraft during the flight that it made. It's probably on YT somewhere.
A great plane ,great idea to put u boats out of work. Fly everything to Europe.
I heard that the engineer who designed the plane was African American. True???
A airplane is made to be airborne, so why not pull out the H-4 out of the museum and find out if it could realy fly ?
Rumor has it he found tissue boxes as the best application as footwear and daylight was highly over rated if I'm not mistaken he also had some issues with game shows also Phil silvers was in the Phil silvers show
Well done! You made the video interesting and fun - with no filler! THIS is the way to make a documentary video!
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
The Mriya flew over my house on final to KIAH.
It was woefully under powered. If it had ever been flown with a full load it would have really struggled to get off the water and climb.
RIP SIR❤
If we had thousands of these planes early in ww2 it could have shortened the war.
Hughes was a visionary
In time his genius mind was taken over by demons
Agreed, thanks!
❤
There is a mistake around 17:05 on the commentary!!! You say Hughes died on a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. WRONG - I was one of the Pilots of the Lear Jet he died on and the flight was from Acapulco to Houston (KIAH)! April 4, 1976
Yes, I've had other comments on that, and thanks for the information. You were indeed part of aviation history!
Thank you Mr. Machat for a very interesting and detailed history of this aircraft. Really enjoyed it. A little bit of history; when the C-102 Jetliner was in the USA the word CANADA was added after the word AVRO. A bit of Canadian pride with that.
I noticed that in the photo of Hughes standing next to the Jetliner. Thanks for clarifying!
Great episode, Mike ! I was fortunate to tour the aircraft while it was under the dome in Long Beach. It was breathtaking.
Great that you got to visit the airplane when it was in Long Beach!
The flight of the Goose was reminiscent of the Wright Flyer.
In 1960 we sailing and he came and got it off the water,he had 6 the new engines on the plane
I toured the Boeing plant and watched them build 747s, then went to see the H-1. The H-1 is truly huge and dominates the hangar/museum. There are lots of great planes to see at McMinnville.
Many thanks!
Once again, thoroughly accurate, and THOUROUGHLY enjoyable.
Many thanks!
You left out RKO studios
Trivia du Jour: Interesting to know that Hughes' hangar was the largest glued buildign in the world.
Here's your trivia: in 1905 the largest building in the world was the Siberia factory of the Singer Sewing Machine Company -- built by the father of a friend of mine.
Neat info, thanks!
I wonder how it would have flown outside of ground-effect.
Wow, this was excellent. The commentary, research, presentation and photography really kept my attention. I was lucky enough to fulfill a lifelong dream and visit the Spruce Goose in McMinnville in 2022 during my first year on the road. If you are in an RV, you can boon dock in the parking lot and check out the museum the next day. After a long while of gawking, I asked the staff to let me have access to some restricted areas. When they saw my medium format Hasselblad film camera, they quickly opened doors. I have some coveted images from that day. Bravo and well done, Mike!
Wonderful comment, thanks!
Hughs be like a 1940's Musk...Musk not quite as crazy, as far as we know, not yet anyway..
Agreed!
I went to see this piece of art in Long Beach in the 80s. I do have a doubt about where Howard passed away, I heard that it was during a flight from Acapulco to Los Angeles, not Las Vegas. I know that he lived in the Acapulco Princess Hotel for quite some time, riding elevators as a kid, I never forget being greeted by uniformed man wearing white gloves as we stayed at the Princess. By the way, the Princess was destroyed 3 days ago by Hurricane Otis.......
It was pointed out to me (several times now) that the flight on which Hughes died was from Mexico to the Hughes Medical Foundation in Houston, TX. Thanks for watching!
Watching the Aviator 🧑✈️ right now ❤🎉
An excellent documentary; but the math makes no sense. If the aircraft started to fly at 95 mph and was airborne for 1 min. 20 secs. It must have flown far further than just 1 mile. That time and distance gives an average speed of just 45 mph, which is obviously wrong. The distance flown must have been closer to 2 miles for the math to be correct.
I've had many comments about this, and the "One minute and twenty seconds" account came from an interview with one of the Hughes crewmen years later. The 95 mph was "indicated airspeed" into a 20-knot headwind at takeoff, and the aircraft slowed to 70 mph for landing, but even that doesn't equate to the 01:20 time. I'm guessing that was the time from the start of the takeoff run to the landing which would make more sense. Thanks for watching!
Hughes over his birth place, Houston, Texas. He was being flown from Mexico City to get medical care at the Houston Medical Center.
Hughes died over Houston