The story in pictures of the Hughes H-4 Hercules, 1945-1947 | Hacker News Reader

The story in pictures of the Hughes H-4 Hercules, 1945-1947

rarehistoricalphotos.com

39 pointsdxs16 comments

> Nevertheless, the brief flight proved to detractors that Hughes’ (now unneeded) masterpiece was flight-worthy

This low-level flight didn't prove that it could also fly without the help of ground effect though...

Modern modeling tools must be able to answer that question now though, correct?

Yeah, but modeling the actual plane precisely as it was built is probably easier said than done. And if you don't get it right, then it's garbage in, garbage out.

I'm not sure how accurate this is but, for the hell of it, enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q-jzuoeFiI&ab_channel=OverK...

(Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Sim Update 11 - Spruce Goose)

Has always reminded me of the SpaceX Starship.

The story won't be the same, but I imagine it will rhyme.

Beautiful photos, though, and an incredible aircraft.

The Great Gatsby of the aviation industry.

Youtuber Peter Dibble has an excellent documentary about the plane's move from Long Beach to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBPJhRCqXjA

Hoover Dam 1931-1936 $49 million

Golden Gate Bridge 1933-1937 $35 million

Spruce Goose 1942-1947 $23 million

The building in the background of the second-to-last photo, the Villa Riviera, is still standing

Anyone know where it is now?

https://www.evergreenmuseum.org

Great museum, well worth a visit for any aviation fans in the region.

> sold the giant plane to the Evergreen Aviation Museum

I might be wrong about this, but I think Evergreen was (is?) a front company for the CIA.

No, Evergreen Aviation Museum is an entirely different entity. You're thinking of Evergreen International Airlines.

They do have an Evergreen International Airlines plane according to the homepage background video.

Different entity but same "Evergreen"—i.e. the same guy founded the airline and the museum.

Evergreen Airlines went bankrupt in 2013. The founder died in 2014. The foundation that owned the museum land went bankrupt in 2016. The museum is operating as non-profit but there isn't anything left to be separate from.

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