Nov 102022
A video tour of the Hughes H-4 Hercules, the “Spruce Goose.” This would have been a hell of a plane had it been made available several years earlier, but by the time it flew it was not only no longer needed, it was obsolete. being made largely of wood, its durability out in the world would be questionable. During wartime this might have been a small issue; they probably couldn’t be expected to have a long lifespan. They’d get taken out by enemy action, by crashes and by wear and tear long before weather and aging would do them in. But in civilian service, the aircraft seems unlikely to have stood up well for long periods.
An all-metal version with turboprops? that might’ve been a hell of a sight to see all through the 1950’s.