Howard Hughes' giant Flying Boat - Popularly known as the Spruce Goose, Page 2

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The Hughes Flying Boat is now on display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.

By February 1982, the dome intended to house the Hughes Flying Boat was ready. The Flying Boat was lifted onto a barge and floated around the harbor to be put on public display.

Late at night on February 10, 1982, the Hughes Flying Boat is prepared to be lifted from its temporary storage location onto a barge for transfer to its display location on Pier J.

Herman the German has lifted Howard Hughes' Flying Boat off of its support trucks.

The Hughes Flying Boat hangs from the cables of Herman the German over the harbor in a light drizzle. Later that night, a barge was maneuvered into position and the Hughes Flying Boat was placed on it to be floated to Pier J.

You can buy prints up to 11" by 16" or 5" x 7" greeting cards of this photograph.

The Hughes Flying Boat is barged across the harbor to its new display location on the morning of February 11, 1982.

The wing of the Hughes Flying Boat is as long as a football field.

The Hughes Flying Boat has been turned around and is being carefully maneuvered into position to line up with the ramp leading into the dome.

Howard Hughes' Flying Boat is moved into its new hangar.

The Hughes Flying Boat is rolled backwards into the dome on Pier J.

The Hughes Flying Boat, seen here on May 22, 1983, spent a decade on display to the public, illuminated by a multi-colored light show. It was accompanied by a replica of the HR-1 racing plane, and a Howard Hughes look-alike wandered around the dome, greeting visitors.

Close-up of the cockpit of the Hughes Flying Boat, which was accessible by a raised platform assembled adjacent to the plane.

Eight 17-foot diameter propellors powered the Hughes Flying Boat.

The view of the interior of the aft end of the Hughes Flying Boat resembles the set of the old Time Tunnel tv series.

On August 10, 1992, disassembly of the airplane was begun for its transportation to another new home in Oregon. By September 9, 1992, the propellers, engines, tail cone, pontoons, wing fairings and tips, elevators, rudder, and ailerons have been removed from Hughes Flying Boat. Blue sunlight from an opening in the dome illuminates one side of the airplane.

Large portable light stands were installed to provide light for the disassembly of the Hughes Flying Boat.

Seen here bereft of its moving surfaces, the Hughes Flying Boat would shortly have its wings and stabilizers removed.

For several years the Hughes Flying Boat remained disassembled in a shelter in Oregon, awaiting the opening of the The Captain Michael King Smith Evergreen Aviation Educational Institute. Photo courtesy Richard Freeman

The components of the Flying Boat were transported to the new museum site in September of 2000. It has been reassembled and is now on display. It has received a new coat of silver paint, so it looks like it did when it made its only flight.

Go to Page 1 of Hughes Flying Boat pictures to review the extraction of the Flying Boat from its hangar in 1980.

The Hughes Flying Boat is now on display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.

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Spruce Goose: Howard Hughes Giant Flying Boat

2012 calendar

You can buy a 2012 calendar featuring my photographs of Howard Hughes' giant Flying Boat, popularly called the Spruce Goose.

Howard Hughes' giant Flying Boat, the Spruce Goose, floated out of the hangar it resided inside for thirty-three years into Los Angeles Harbor on October 29, 1980. It took two days to pick it up with Herman the German and place it on land for temporary storage. On February 10, 1982, it was lifted onto a barge for transportation to the geodesic dome where it was displayed to the public for eleven years.

Put a copy of the

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Who do you think took these pictures?

I am engaged in an ongoing email exchange with an individual who is convinced that I did not take these pictures of the move of Howard Hughes giant flying boat.

Since you require folks to get permission to use your photographs, did you get permission to use someone elses pictures i.e. of the Spruce Goose move in Long Beach? Thanks

I do not need anyone's permission to use those pictures of the move of Howard Hughes' giant flying boat because I took every one of them myself.

Whenever I use a picture taken by another photographer, I get permission and give full credit to that photographer. I expect, but frequently do not receive, the same courtesy from others.

Thank you for responding. If you took each of these pictures yourself, you had to have permissioin from someone to be in the locations you were in to take them. Since I was in charge of the entire Move, and have all of the release signatures approving all photography within the controlled spaces of the move, I don't seem to have a document which identifies you. Could you please clarify.

I took those pictures, and I did not need your permission to take them.

Thank you for the clarification of your procedure regarding pictures you use that you do not take. Your previous e-mail states you took all of the pictures. In receipt of this last e-mail, I found difficulty understanding just exactly what you did, since I am looking at our negatives and original photos of some of your pictures which we took as a function of the move.

Are you implying that my pictures of the move of the flying boat were taken by another photographer? I have all of the original slides of those pictures. They will not be found among your negatives.

This becomes more curious as we discuss it. We shall see. My "negatives" are slides as well. That is how we had our negatives mounted.

There is nothing curious about it. You will not find a single match between your slides and my photos, much less find matches for all of my photos.

Your position is clear, not necessarily correct, but clear. We'll investigate further. There is obviously more to this than your willing, at this time, to admit. The exact same pictures, taken from the same exact location, at the exact same time, from our vessels with AUTHORIZED personnel only, has created this question.

Thank you for your responses.

My position is correct and clear. There is nothing for me to admit. I took those pictures of the move of the flying boat. I have the original slides. None of those pictures was taken from a vessel.

I challenge you to identify any photo of the move of the flying boat that is displayed on my web site that you believe I did not take. I will show you the original slide.

I am not lying about taking those pictures. I resent your baseless accusations and unsupportable threats. This email exchange is a waste of my time.

Who owns the negatives that you referred to? Are you employed by them? Who is your boss and what is his phone number?

Followed up with:

Here is a photograph of a page of my original slides, with annotation, of the move of the flying boat.

You will not find any of these photos among your negatives.

Okay, there is my evidence. How about showing me some evidence to back up your accusation that I am a liar?

Just so you are not under any false illusions, I am the BOSS, President and Owner of the Company totally responsible for the Move you photographed.

Now we agree that I took the pictures of the Move that appear on my web site and I am not displaying any of your photos on my web site.

As the man says, we shall see.

Book about Howard Hughes giant flying boat available from

Howard Hughes And His Flying Boat by Charles Barton

Links:

Find all about the Howard Hughes giant flying boat at Wikiverse.org.

Link to a page describing the The Captain Michael King Smith Evergreen Aviation Educational Institute which is restoring the Hughes Flying Boat for display in McMinnville, Oregon.

Barrett Hochaus built a radio-controlled model of Howard Hughes giant Flying Boat, popularly known as the Spruce Goose, with a wing span of nearly ten feet. It is powered by four electric motors. Despite its large size, it wieghs less than seven pounds. It made its maiden flight at the Gilbert Rodeo Grounds on Saturday, January 22, 2011.

Send a message to Brian.

Go to home page of the Goleta Air and Space Museum.