Spruce Goose
Wooden flying boat
The Spruce Goose is the nickname for the Hughes H-4 Hercules, a massive wooden flying boat built by Howard Hughes during World War II.
Despite being called "spruce," it was made primarily of birch.
The aircraft flew only once, in 1947, for about a mile at low altitude.
The name is often used as shorthand for ambitious projects that prove impractical or never fully materialize: That infrastructure plan is turning into a real Spruce Goose.
- HughesWelsh-origin family name
- aircraftAirborne transportation vehicle
- flying boatAircraft with boat hull
- woodenMade from timber
- hangarAircraft storage structure
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- seaplanesseaplanes, floatplane, floatplanes, flying boat, flying boats
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