Spruce Goose

The Spruce Goose is a nickname commonly given to the Hughes H-4 Hercules, an aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company, Howard Hughes' plane company. The nickname arose as a way of making light of the Hercules project due to Hughes' alleged misuse of government funding to build the aircraft. The Hercules is the largest flying boat, and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft ever built. Only one was built.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Wingspan: 319 ft 11 in (97.54 m)
• Length: 218 ft 8 in (66.65 m)
• Height: 79 ft 4 in (24.18 m)
• Fuselage height: Approx. 30 ft (9.1 m)
• Engines: 8 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, 3,000 hp (2.2 MW) each
• Propellers: 8 × four-bladed Hamilton Standard, diameter 17 ft 2 in (5.23 m)

Performance (projected)

• Intended cruising speed: Approx. 220 mph (320 km/h)
• Intended maximum range: Approx. 3,000 miles (4,800 km)
• Intended endurance (cruise): 20.9 h
• Intended service ceiling: 20,900 ft (6,370 m)
• Intended gross weight 400,000 lb (180,000 kg)