The Hughes Flying Boat—at one time the largest aircraft ever built—
was piloted by designer Howard Hughes on its first and only flight.
Built with laminated birch and spruce (hence the nickname the
Spruce Goose) the massive wooden aircraft had a wingspan
longer than a football field and was designed to carry more than
700 men to battle.
Howard Robard Hughes Jr.
(December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976)
Today the Spruce Goose remains in good condition and is on display in McMinnville, Oregon at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.