31.07.2009, 21:00
is any one here makeing the spruce goose since it was built and did fly and the only reson it never went into servace was because more of our ships where getting bast the Uboats if they hadnt then it would have
spruce goose
31.07.2009, 22:17
Not another one paragraph request. :roll: But since I would like to see the Hughes H-4 ingame here's a more detailed description of it.
![[Image: H-4_Hercules_2.jpg]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/H-4_Hercules_2.jpg)
The Hughes H-4 Hercules (registration NX37602) was a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company. The aircraft made its only flight on November 2, 1947. Built from wood due to wartime raw material restrictions on the use of aluminum, it was nicknamed the "Spruce Goose" by its critics. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history. It survives in good condition at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, USA.
Due to wartime restrictions on the availability of metals, the H-4 was built almost entirely of laminated birch, not spruce as its nickname suggests. The plywood and resin "Duramold" process, a form of composite technology, was used in the laminated wood construction. The aircraft was considered a technological tour de force.
The aircraft was not finished in time for use in World War II and never advanced beyond the single prototype produced.
In 1942, the U.S. Department of War was faced with the need to transport war materiel 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. Due to wartime priorities, the design was further constrained in that the aircraft could not be made of metal.
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 built at that time. When completed, it was capable of carrying 750 fully-equipped troops or one M4 Sherman tank. The original designation "HK-1" reflected the Hughes and Kaiser collaboration
The HK-1 contract in 1942, issued as a development contract, called for three aircraft to be constructed under a two-year deadline in order to be available for the war effort. Seven configurations were considered, including twin-hull and single-hull designs with combinations of four, six and eight wing-mounted engines.[6] The final design chosen was a behemoth, eclipsing any large transport then built. To conserve metal, it would be built mostly of wood (elevators and rudder were fabric covered[); hence, the "Spruce Goose" moniker tagged on the aircraft by the media. It was also referred to as the Flying Lumberyard by critics. Hughes himself detested the nickname "Spruce Goose".
While Kaiser had originated the "flying cargo ship" concept, he did not have an aeronautical background and deferred to Hughes and his designer, Glenn Odekirk. Development dragged on, which frustrated Kaiser, who blamed delays partly on restrictions placed for the acquisition of strategic materials such as aluminum, but also placed part of the blame on Hughes' insistence on "perfection." Although construction of the first HK-1 had taken place 16 months after the receipt of the development contract, Kaiser withdrew from the project.
Hughes continued the program on his own under the designation "H-4 Hercules" (initially identified as the HFB-1 to signify Hughes Flying Boat, First Design,) signing a new government contract that now limited production to one example. Work proceeded slowly, with the result that the H-4 was not completed until well after the war was over.
In 1947, Howard Hughes was called to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee over the usage of government funds for the aircraft.
During a Senate hearing on 6 August 1947 in the first of a series of appearances, Hughes said:
The Hughes H-4 Hercules (registration NX37602) was a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company. The aircraft made its only flight on November 2, 1947. Built from wood due to wartime raw material restrictions on the use of aluminum, it was nicknamed the "Spruce Goose" by its critics. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history. It survives in good condition at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, USA.
Due to wartime restrictions on the availability of metals, the H-4 was built almost entirely of laminated birch, not spruce as its nickname suggests. The plywood and resin "Duramold" process, a form of composite technology, was used in the laminated wood construction. The aircraft was considered a technological tour de force.
The aircraft was not finished in time for use in World War II and never advanced beyond the single prototype produced.
In 1942, the U.S. Department of War was faced with the need to transport war materiel 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. Due to wartime priorities, the design was further constrained in that the aircraft could not be made of metal.
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 built at that time. When completed, it was capable of carrying 750 fully-equipped troops or one M4 Sherman tank. The original designation "HK-1" reflected the Hughes and Kaiser collaboration
The HK-1 contract in 1942, issued as a development contract, called for three aircraft to be constructed under a two-year deadline in order to be available for the war effort. Seven configurations were considered, including twin-hull and single-hull designs with combinations of four, six and eight wing-mounted engines.[6] The final design chosen was a behemoth, eclipsing any large transport then built. To conserve metal, it would be built mostly of wood (elevators and rudder were fabric covered[); hence, the "Spruce Goose" moniker tagged on the aircraft by the media. It was also referred to as the Flying Lumberyard by critics. Hughes himself detested the nickname "Spruce Goose".
While Kaiser had originated the "flying cargo ship" concept, he did not have an aeronautical background and deferred to Hughes and his designer, Glenn Odekirk. Development dragged on, which frustrated Kaiser, who blamed delays partly on restrictions placed for the acquisition of strategic materials such as aluminum, but also placed part of the blame on Hughes' insistence on "perfection." Although construction of the first HK-1 had taken place 16 months after the receipt of the development contract, Kaiser withdrew from the project.
Hughes continued the program on his own under the designation "H-4 Hercules" (initially identified as the HFB-1 to signify Hughes Flying Boat, First Design,) signing a new government contract that now limited production to one example. Work proceeded slowly, with the result that the H-4 was not completed until well after the war was over.
In 1947, Howard Hughes was called to testify before the Senate War Investigating Committee over the usage of government funds for the aircraft.
During a Senate hearing on 6 August 1947 in the first of a series of appearances, Hughes said:
31.07.2009, 22:56
KG64_cnopicilin Wrote:Didn't someone start building the hughes H-4?
i hope so
31.07.2009, 23:01
So do I but I can't find any indication of it.
31.07.2009, 23:11
XB-49 Wrote:So do I but I can't find any indication of it.
same here
31.07.2009, 23:44
I started building back in the ages of the Fraken Planes.
it;s a canceled project.
Any ways would there be any good use for this plane... ramming it is like putting a cannon shell on a b-17...
it;s a canceled project.
Any ways would there be any good use for this plane... ramming it is like putting a cannon shell on a b-17...
31.07.2009, 23:47
I remember someone tried to make a frankenplane version of it with the Me-323 and H8K, but that was a loooong time ago... I can't really say I want this plane in game (we need more planes that saw service first), but it would definitely be an interesting target... I got to see the real thing at the evergreen air museum in Oregon a couple years ago... you have no idea how MASSIVE the thing is until you see it in person... to put things in perspective, if any of you have seen a B-17 in real life, you know that it's huge. The Spruce Goose? it's HORIZONTAL STABILIZER is wider than the B-17's WINGSPAN! just the prop spinners alone are about 7 feet tall and 3 or 4 in diameter... 
hock: I think I have a few pictures, I can post them if anyone's interested...
hock: I think I have a few pictures, I can post them if anyone's interested...
01.08.2009, 00:49
I've seen the Spruce Goose at McMinville,Oregon and it is a massive plane but I don't think that it would be vary practial in-game as it never flew in combat and to make it for the game would be a huge undertaking in itself.
01.08.2009, 00:58
Jaypack44 Wrote:I remember someone tried to make a frankenplane version of it with the Me-323 and H8K, but that was a loooong time ago... I can't really say I want this plane in game (we need more planes that saw service first), but it would definitely be an interesting target... I got to see the real thing at the evergreen air museum in Oregon a couple years ago... you have no idea how MASSIVE the thing is until you see it in person... to put things in perspective, if any of you have seen a B-17 in real life, you know that it's huge. The Spruce Goose? it's HORIZONTAL STABILIZER is wider than the B-17's WINGSPAN! just the prop spinners alone are about 7 feet tall and 3 or 4 in diameter...It was me.
01.08.2009, 09:55
Why do such a plane, that was never used, and not even flew (in any meaningful meaning of the word)? I don't understand it. There are so many aircraft that played a historical role that needs building first.
01.08.2009, 10:49
Poltava Wrote:Why do such a plane, that was never used, and not even flew (in any meaningful meaning of the word)? I don't understand it. There are so many aircraft that played a historical role that needs building first.
I understand that more attention needs to be payed to historical aircraft and we would like to see them built. But we would love to fly these "exotics" simply because we would like to see how much of a challenge would it be to keep these planes up in the air in a WWII situation.
01.08.2009, 11:15
XB-49 Wrote:But we would love to fly these "exotics" simply because we would like to see how much of a challenge would it be to keep these planes up in the air in a WWII situation.Sure, me too.
We'd love to try them, once, maybe twice, and then the novelty wears off so we go back to flying whatever we usually do.
I honestly can't see this as a plane that would have an offline campaign centered around it or one that is being flown much at online dogfights. It is pointless to put such a huge effort into something that will be so seldom used.
But, having said that, because this is still a historical real life machine (who doubts it should visit the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museun near Portland, Oregon, and see the real item in person), i would rather see this one done than most of the fantasy-waffe stuff that is getting so much attention here lately.
01.08.2009, 16:24
I'd been to Long Beach and seen it, but that was years ago.
It reminds me of that big German transport- I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about- the designation escapes me atm.
I might imagine that the FM would be based on engineering data instead of IRL experiences. Because of that it would seem of dubious value to me.
I use the big ole' German transport as target practice myself.
But who am I to rain on anyone's enjoyment? If someone's up to making it, why not?
Go for it
Cheers and good luck
Triad
It reminds me of that big German transport- I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about- the designation escapes me atm.
I might imagine that the FM would be based on engineering data instead of IRL experiences. Because of that it would seem of dubious value to me.
I use the big ole' German transport as target practice myself.
But who am I to rain on anyone's enjoyment? If someone's up to making it, why not?
Go for it
Cheers and good luck
Triad
02.08.2009, 13:22
Ironic really, I was watching the aviator last night...
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