The legendary Hercules flying boat was designed and built by the
Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended to defeat the German U-boat
threat, the plane was intended to be a super transport that could
ferry 750 troops from the USA to Europe, and serve as an aerial
ambulance on the return flight. Owing to wartime restrictions on
the use of aluminum, the prototype Hercules was built using
laminated birch wood. Although company CEO Howard Hughes hated it,
the name "Spruce Goose" was coined for the plane and it stuck. The
HK-1 (later designated H-4) would be the largest flying boat ever
built, and one of history's largest and most expensive planes. Many
questioned the practicality of the aircraft, and after the war
ended the project was roundly criticized as a boondoggle. Howard
Hughes decided to prove the plane could fly. On November 2, 1947 he
and a crew of 21 conducted a series of taxi tests with the plane.
On the last test, the plane became airborne for a brief time and
flew just under two miles at an altitude of roughly 70 feet. It
would never fly again, but Hughes had silenced his critics. This
Hughes Flying Boat Manual was originally prepared for the U.S.
Government's War Department by the Hughes Tool Co., and made
available through the Freedom of Information Act. It provides an
overview of this massive plane's design and operation for the pilot
and flight crew, and puts you right in the cockpit of one of
history's great planes. Please note: because this document
originated from an archival copy, legibility can vary and some
images may be substandard.
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