The **Hughes H-4 Hercules**, famously known as the **Spruce Goose**, is recognized as the largest flying boat ever constructed, boasting a wingspan that surpasses that of a football pitch. Despite its monumental size, this remarkable aircraft only completed a single test flight. Designed by the **Hughes Aircraft Company**, founded by the enigmatic billionaire and aviator **Howard Hughes**, the flying boat was intended for use as a transatlantic transport during **World War II**, with the capacity to carry up to **750 troops** across the Atlantic.
Constructed primarily from laminated birch, the Spruce Goose has an empty weight of nearly **113,400 kg** and a fuselage length of over **218 feet**. Its impressive wingspan measures **320 feet**, exceeding the length of standard football pitches, which typically range from **300 to 390 feet**. The aircraft was equipped with eight powerful engines, each fitted with four-bladed propellers measuring **17 feet** in diameter. Four engines were mounted on either side of the fuselage, contributing to its extraordinary design.
The ambitious project fell short of its intended timeline, as the Spruce Goose was not completed in time for deployment by the American Air Force. Ultimately, the aircraft was first flown by Howard Hughes himself on **November 2, 1947**, two years after the conclusion of the war. The flight took off from **Long Beach Harbour, California**, lasting approximately **26 seconds** and covering a distance of about one mile before landing back on the water. Footage of this event shows the aircraft soaring around **70 feet** above the ocean’s surface.
Despite its historic test flight, the Spruce Goose remained a prototype, never transitioning into full production. It has since become an object of fascination and a testament to ambitious engineering. Today, the aircraft is preserved at the **Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum** in **McMinnville, Oregon**, where aviation enthusiasts can appreciate its enormous scale firsthand.
For decades, the Spruce Goose held the record not only as the largest flying boat but also as the aircraft with the greatest wingspan. This record stood until **2019**, when the **Stratolaunch**, a twin-fuselage jet, made its maiden flight, boasting a wingspan of approximately **385 feet**. The legacy of the Spruce Goose endures, symbolizing both the heights of aviation ambition and the complexities of wartime engineering.
