Biggest Ever: The Amazing H-4 Hercules

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In this video:
It was a cool California November afternoon in 1947 when the HK-4 Hercules, also known as the Spruce Goose, finally flew. It was supposed to be a simple taxi test, nothing more than motoring through the water of Long Beach Harbor to show off its speed and test out the plane in open water. But having endured years of people mocking the project and himself for trying to build a plane so massive it had no hope of flying, Howard Hughes decided to take the opportunity to extend his middle finger at them all in the most poignant way he could.
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Sources:
www.evergreenmuseum.org/the-sp...
www.history.com/this-day-in-h...
www.aopa.org/news-and-media/a...
www.immigrantentrepreneurship...
www.cnn.com/travel/article/sp...
www.americanheritage.com/conte...
articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/...
books.google.com/books?id=FJ1...
www.boeing.com/history/product...
www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/...
www.newenglandhistoricalsociet...
www.britannica.com/biography/...
www.history.com/news/7-things...
www.airspacemag.com/history-o...
airandspace.si.edu/collection...
gizmodo.com/howard-hughes-h-1...
www.nydailynews.com/news/world...
books.google.com/books?id=h5L...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

[@orcasea59]

I worked for H. Hughes' (retired) private secretary when I was in high school, and she would tell me stories about him. The government actually forbade him to fly the aircraft, and with the end of the war he was upset that the people who had worked for so long and so hard on the airplane would never see it fly. So, on that day Hughes' Aircraft was on a company holiday enjoying a big party on the beach. He did the planned high speed taxi tests, and then, just as he was passing the thousands of Hughes employees...Ooops! Up it went, and everyone got to see the object of their hard labor lift up and fly past them in majestic glory Hughes' was quite a guy.

[@paulpurpura191]

Simon, I used to work in the jet engine test areas of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft who made the engines for the SR71 Blackbird. When the engines were throttled up to full AB the shock waves were so intense that at the end of the day you felt like you were beaten with a stick. An amazing plane that’s for sure.

[@amdreallyfast]

Spent about an hour extracting these values from Wikipedia in response to another comment. There were some big planes introduced prior to the H-4, but when Howard -Stark- Hughes introduced the H-4, it was notably larger than them all (EDIT: except the total power), and as the video showed, had some design differences too (fuel in fuselage, etc.). length (ft): - 218.67 Hughes H-4 - 148.00 Saunders-Roe Princess - 117.25 Martin JRM Mars - 110.33 Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - 92.33 Messerschmitt Me 323 wingspan (ft): - 320.92 Hughes H-4 - 219.50 Saunders-Roe Princess - 200.00 Martin JRM Mars - 141.25 Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - 181.00 Messerschmitt Me 323 height (ft): - 79.33 Hughes H-4 - 55.75 Saunders-Roe Princess - 38.42 Martin JRM Mars - 38.25 Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - 33.33 Messerschmitt Me 323 weight (empty, lbs): - 250,000.00 Hughes H-4 - 190,000.00 Saunders-Roe Princess - 83,500.00 Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - 75,500.00 Martin JRM Mars - 60,200.00 Messerschmitt Me 323 weight (loaded, lbs): - 400,000.00 Hughes H-4 - 345,000.00 Saunders-Roe Princess - 165,000.00 Martin JRM Mars - 148,000.00 Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - 94,800.00 Messerschmitt Me 323 powerplant: EDIT: Princess had more power than the H-4 due to being all-metal. That said, the HP/weight ratio is still in the H-4's favor. - 4x 5000hp + 2x 2500hp = 25,000hp Saunders-Roe Princess - 8x 3000hp = 24,000hp Hughes H-4 - 4x 3500hp = 14,000hp Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - 4x 2500hp = 10,000hp Martin JRM Mars - 6x 1100hp = 6,600hp Messerschmitt Me 323 introduced: - 1936 Douglas DC-3 - Jan 20, 1942 Messerschmitt Me 323 - Jul 08, 1947 Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - Nov 30, 1943 Martin JRM Mars - Nov 02, 1947 Hughes H-4 - Aug 22, 1952 Saunders-Roe Princess

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

But then again this hardly is a real plane as it has flown just a few times it own length in a straight path very low over the water just once.

[@amdreallyfast]

@@Cl0ckcl0ck: (1) "hardly is a real plane" Hughes will see you now :). (2) "just a few times it own length" 1.6km

[@kurtsnyder4752]

Crossed out the reason Iron Mans' pop was a Howard.

[@johndododoe1411]

So the Saunders-Roe Princess had a bigger total power (25000 versus 24000, both from 6 engines).

[@amdreallyfast]

@@johndododoe1411 Whoops, you're right. Arithmetic fail. Fixed.

[@karp9984]

I liked the "do not sit" sign in the cockpit.

[@Audiojack_]

While he was sitting in there.

[@ReddwarfIV]

Well, its likely aimed at normal visitors. The more people you let sit there, the more wear and tear you put on the seats and the higher the risk that the controls get broken accidentally. Doesn't mean no one can ever sit there, but I was amused by it too.

[@compulsoryevacuationdevice]

It's worth it for the museum to let Simon sit in the cockpit just for the video. After all, this is free publicity for them.

[@OldFormat]

You're not the boss of me sign!

[@Stoneysilence]

Actually for $40 anybody can go up in the cockpit and get a picture taken for up to a group of 4 and a personalized 15 minute tour. That sign is for the platform behind the seat, because when a group of 4 gets their pictures taken 2 sit in the seats and 2 have to sit on the stairs behind the seats without sitting on that platform. I was just there a few weeks ago and took the tour. If I remember right they said that wood there is not heavy duty enough to support a persons weight.

[@2ToneWalt]

Howard Hughes was such a pioneer in so many ways its hard to believe he ended up as he did.

[@foxglow6798]

Mr67Steve how did he end up?

[@CassDaMan1138]

@@foxglow6798 He went nuts and was a germaphobe to the extreme. Pretty much imagine Tony Stark from Iron Man except more controlling, phobia of germs, and in a way superstitious, and he was a real person and not some Comic book character.

[@nubreed13]

He had really bad OCD. At one point he went nits and disappeared for almost a year before he got arrested and was only let out when one of his employees recognized him.

[@CassDaMan1138]

@@nubreed13 OCD that's it!

[@2ToneWalt]

@@foxglow6798 I'm pretty sure he spent the last 10 to 15 years of his life in a hotel in Las Vegas as a recluse which he bought so he didn't have to have contact with anyone, check out his Wikipedia page his achievements were amazing and his later life was crazy.

[@smy0003]

Best of the location shot videos yet, this is fantastic.

[@keithbecker3142]

Planes! These are great videos and content I like! Definitely the most fun one so far!

[@wyllomygreene7700]

he was definitely "kid in a candy store" on this one! :)

[@foadrightnow5725]

I went to see the Spruce Goose when it was parked next to the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California in the Summer of 1985. Talk about an incredible day! I remember after entering the dome and rounding a curved wall, all of a sudden it seemed that this huge behemoth of a plane was right in front of you! There was no walking up to it from a distance so you could acclimate yourself to the size of it! No, no, no! It felt like it was on top of you! It kinda scared me at first, to be honest. But after a minute or two, fear had turned into excitement! Seeing the Spruce Goose in person should be on everyone's bucket list! I checked off that one decades ago, long before I even heard the term "bucket list"!

[@tanakaba]

I was expecting a turkey today, but a goose is fine too.

[@1waychild]

The B-29 was larger than the DC-3, and it was flying long before the Hercules. Of course the Hercules dwarfed the B-29, however the largest plane at the time was not the DC-3 as the guide in the video states. The DC-3 has a wingspan of 95 feet, where the B-29 had a wingspan of 141 feet. It is a great show Simon ... please do not fault me. I just happen to be a stickler for accuracy when it comes to misquoting certain aircraft facts. I happen to be an aircraft enthusiast for over 35 years. I notice these things. Keep 'em coming! :)

[@shebbs1]

The DC-3 (though they show 2 inserts of the B-17, which also wasn't the largest at the time the H4 was conceived) was nowhere near the largest aircraft then the H4 was conceived, let alone when it finally flew.

[@markmurray8805]

ME 323 Gigant

[@BrownSofaGamer]

Way Child I think what the guide was trying (and failed to) say was the DC-3 was a common contemporary to use for scale that was big. However even still there are many planes that were built in large numbers that were bigger than the DC-3 like the B-29.

[@neuxstone]

I think what he meant to say was largest "transport" plane. I agree with the "gigantic" being the biggest. Good story though....thanks.

[@drod6044]

The B-29 was still fairly new when construction on the H-4 started...

[@Vypert]

4:35 the sign says do not sit.. what a badass

[@annabellethepitty]

Probably a museum rule

[@Stoneysilence]

It's for the platform the sign is on, not the seat itself. I've sat in that seat. Costs $40 for a 15 minute tour up there and a picture for up to 4 people.

[@PerposterusGossamerPossum]

I would recommend the aviation and space museum. It was super fun when I went there as a kid. They let you go in the Hercules, theres also a bunch of really cool jet engines on display.

[@tabbyclawproductions7943]

And there's the water park right next to it!

[@youtuuba]

I don't know of any place called "The Aviation and Space Museum". However, there are many aviation museums with similar names. Or probably you meant the "Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum".....in which case it would have been less confusing to others if you had just written that,

[@PerposterusGossamerPossum]

@@youtuuba Lol it seemed pretty obvious to anyone but you, they only mention one in the video. There is only one with he H-4. If you are in the area and just say "the plane place" you will get good directions. However I can see if you are a pedant who does not know the area(and didn't even watch the video) you might be confused bro.

[@youtuuba]

@@PerposterusGossamerPossum , I was chiding you on your lazy writing and punctuation, using a sarcastic tone. The point being that while it might be pretty obvious in this particular context, in another context the same lazy/sloppy writing could render your comment meaningless to most others. But in general, I find that people who tack on "LOL" before/after everything they write are already mentally incapable of understanding such distinctions.

[@PerposterusGossamerPossum]

@@youtuuba so you did not watch the video? Also claiming sarcasm in text after you get proven dumb is super easy. I'd say you are no fun at parties but you dont get invited to them in the first place.

This plane is one of the most wondrous planes I have ever seen. I got to see it a few times when it was housed in Long Beach, next to the Queen Mary. Such a fascinating story. 👍😊

[@HAMlLTON]

I’ve been there! Shout out to Oregon and the McMinnville museum

[@tabbyclawproductions7943]

Same!

[@rswear]

ditto! Awesome seeing those planes in person

[@redchic]

Many thanks! We Oregonians are proud to have the Spruce Goose here! And Simon as well, even if it's just to visit.

[@InfinityG-sc3nm]

been there, done that

[@Stoneysilence]

Yup, was there and took the tour in the cockpit about a month ago.

[@laurenneblett986]

Like so many people have already said, the video does not do this plane justice. It is so dang big! Anyway, this is a fantastic museum. Every Father's Day, they have an event with (almost) all of the people who have piloted the SR-71. Also, this upcoming November, they are getting an F-117! So excited and can't wait to go again

[@52BLUE]

Really appreciate these kinds of videos. I love your original format and find a lot of topics fascinating (Subbed after watchingn your story on the Fillet O Fish, as said here in Australia). Being a videographer, I'm fully aware of how much extra effort it takes to shoot on location, and to try and get something of that size in frame too. You guys did really well. Keep it up. If you ever need somebody to help shoot in Melbourne, don't hesitate to look me up :)

[@michaelm6574]

The blackbirds speed record was set in 1967 but it wasn't declassified until 1990. You've got to wonder IF it actually does still hold the record.

[@-The-Darkside]

we'll find out in 2050

[@wilurbean]

It does for a manned jet powered plane. It's a physics limitation, Ram jets are rockets perform better at higher speeds, so the sr71 is about as fast as is feasible with turbojets. Watch out for the SABRE though. Rocket planes like the x15 hit mach 7 or 8, And the supersonic ram jets that are unnamed is close to, if not exceeded mach 10

[@JM-jv7ps]

@@wilurbean the sr71 is combined cycle turbojet/ramjet like 80% ram at cruise

[@wilurbean]

@@JM-jv7ps yes that's true, the bypass becomes part of the ram and the spike is retracted to slow air speed. But it still has some turbo jet thrust in there, giving it the title. But it is at the limits of feasibility for jets

[@ronschock6545]

In 1975-77 my dad was the CAF's ATC Warrant Officer in Goose Bay. He handled the SR-71's transiting through his airspace. In a lot of cases? They were going a lot faster than what is published. Hearsay? Yes. Point taken, but my dad has never lied to me about anything. On flights back to CONUS, Mildenhall would hand them over to Prestwick and they would hand off to Goose. Dad estimated transit time (through his controlled air space) at about 25 minutes. He then handed them off to either Eileson or North Bay, depending on the route they were flying. We had an interesting "pit stop" (for a snag) in 1976 (maybe Spring '77?) at Goose Bay. Accompanied by three C-141's full of tech's and MP's. Fun times.

[@geneard639]

When I was a little kid, my uncle was working on a project that involved both the SR-71 and the U-2. He took me right up to them and I got to sit in them both...no one said anything to him about it until he whipped out his Polaroid, then they said something. I know now days a that at the time, both aircraft were above top secret, but I spent so much time at my uncles side at the time, and some saw me as a 'good luck charm' because of my brilliant strawberry blond hair. All the pilots would rub the bejebus out of it... years later, I got to meet the crews of the Enola Gay, Bochs Car and Dolittles Raiders because of my uncle...

[@ShinzouKatsune]

I just love when Simon has is geek out voice going. You can just tell how stupendiously excited he is about these fantastic aircrafts.

[@douglasmcneil8413]

The H-4 used to be on display at Long Beach next to the Queen Mary. Took my kids there a few times when they were young. We would also go to the March AFB and Chino Air Shows to see the SR-71 and watch the Thunderbirds Demonstration Team. Now I'm Grandpa and It's Still fun to watch the little ones eyes get big. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm; reminds me of great family times.

[@AgnostosGnostos]

The H-4 Hercules has a wingspan of 97 meters. The Antonov An-225 Mriya has a wingspan of 88 meters. The Airbus A380 has a wing span of 79 meters. The Boeing 777X has a wingspan of 71meters (64 meters folded). The Convair B-36 a wingspan of 70 meters. The Boeing 747 has a wingspan of 68 meters. The Airbus Beluga XL has a wingspan of 60 meters. The Boeing B-52 has a wingspan of 56 meters.

[@Yelloww]

C-5? 68 meters

[@allangibson8494]

Stratolaunch carrier aircraft wingspan = 117m.

[@rayceeya8659]

First of all thanks Simon for getting the name of my state correct. Second, by what measure was the DC-3 the largest plane in 1947? The DC-4, the B-29, the Boeing 377, the Lockheed Constellation, the Boeing 314. And I haven't even left the US yet. Pretty sure that guy needs a fact check.

[@shebbs1]

Not even the largest when it was conceived several years earlier as many aircraft from several countries were larger. Funny how they talk about rge DC3 yet show two clips of a B-17, also not the largest in any respect either, be it range, load, speed.

[@1TigerAce]

Ray Ceeya The guy wasn't referring to when the plane flew I believe but, when the plane was purposed. Can't remember the date but it was years before. Still there were others prior to the plane flying that were still bigger in one sense or another.

[@rayceeya8659]

@@1TigerAce For what it's worth, I checked my facts first. Development of the began in 1942, the same year as the DC-4 went into mass production. All I can think is that was the plane he was thinking of, not the DC-3. At the time the DC-4 would have been the biggest land based air transport until the Boeing 377 after the war. A better comparison would be the Boeing 314 "Clippers". These were the biggest flying boats to enter mass production. Don't get me wrong, I love the Goonie Bird. In fact, I'm fairly certain that throughout the 30s and 40s, the DC-3 hauled more tonnage and passengers than any other model at the time. But the DC-3 did it with numbers. It didn't have to be big when they made hundreds of them.

[@trevoncowen9198]

He also liked little girls so there's that

[@xulapostasy7132]

Im from Washington State and have travelled to Oregon a lot. I went to that museum over 10 years ago and saw the famous spruce goose. Good times. Happy to see more local videos in the PNW!!

[@generalhyde007]

I really like this. Not just the DC-3 which is one of the oldest commercial planes that is still flying, but the SR-71. That is one of the coolest planes in existence. 2 of my all time favorite planes ever.

[@TedSeeber]

Hey, you were in my neighborhood, sort of, I live in Beaverton. Drove past there just last weekend.

[@adidragan]

"at the time the biggest thing flying was the DC-3" *cough* Messerschmitt Me 323 *cough* *cough* Blohm & Voss Viking *cough* *cough* Saunders Roe Princess *cough* *cough* Martin Mars *cough* *cough* Boeing Stratocruiser *cough* The list goes on and on, and these are all either contemporary to the H-4, or built even earlier.

[@stimproid]

B 29 Superfortress

[@guidor.4161]

Yes and: XB-19, B-29, Martin Mars, Ju 390

[@DanielBohnen]

The biggest flying commercial plane....

[@guidor.4161]

@@DanielBohnen The Junkers 90 then :-)

[@bjs301]

Adi You should see a doctor for that cough.

[@k.a.davison9897]

I saw and went aboard the H-4 in the 1980's when it was on display in Long Beach. It was one of those extraordinary events in a life that you never forget. Then you were given greater freedom to explore; I say that because of noting the plastic panel blocking access towards the tail section. Thanks. A great segment that was respectful of both the craft and its creator.

[@Cipher71]

I've had a poster of this plane in my room ever since I was 2 years old. It's really cool to finally learn some facts about it!

[@samuelb6960]

The Boeing museum in Seattle has an A12 and a crashed SR71 you can sit in the cockpit of the SR71 lots of other cool stuff there.

[@lowranger4x49]

A bloody epic plane for it's day

[@stimproid]

Bloody epic plane for today.

[@TheCaptainSplatter]

Still is.

[@ashleymarks6144]

I LOVE your enthusiasm for aviation. You earned major points for geeking out about the SR-71. All the best.

[@leostask]

I know this is a year old but I have to let you know my wife bought me an exclusive tour and photo shoot of the spruce goose for my birthday a couple of years ago it was one of the greatest thrills of my life to sit in the same seat Howard Hughes sat in! The view is amazing looking out the window and seeing just how long the wing span is, and how high the cockpit is above the ground! So glad it is available to the public!

[@inisipisTV]

It's not made by neither of Spruce nor of a Goose.

[@stimproid]

It wasn’t even assembled loose or by a moose.

[@D5quared91]

It didn’t make juice or have a caboose.

[@stimproid]

This is starting to get obtuse. Lets declare a a truce.

[@mybackhurts7020]

It was called the burch bitch

[@ThreeCatsInTheWindow]

the larch

[@billeudy8481]

Why would he say that the DC-3 was the largest thing flying at the time? That’s not even close to being true.

[@youtuuba]

Museum docents are often older retired people, and although they have been briefed on what to say, their memories might not be fully 'up to scratch', so they mis-remember things. Yes, there were many other airplanes bigger than a DC-3 by the time the Spruce Goose flew. The DC-3 was introduced in 1936, and the Spruce Goose was conceived in 1942. The B-17, which was a four engine bomber that was bigger than a DC-3 first flew in 1935. So, regardless of whether the docent was talking about when the SG was being designed, or when it flew, the DC-3 was definately not the biggest plane flying. Simon Whistler should have known better even before he visited to do this video, and even if not, should have corrected the misinformation during editing.

[@Unknown_Ooh]

Biggest wing span

[@billeudy8481]

youtuuba Yes, I’m sure you’re right. As a matter fact I often have trouble remembering things myself.

[@Jan-mu6vs]

Maybe the biggest transport plane...

[@youtuuba]

@@Unknown_Ooh , could you possibly write in complete sentences so others can understand your point?

[@Kenkire]

That is so great! I live in Oregon and I've been to that museum. Sadly they were closed, and I didn't get to go inside. Maybe someday. Thanks for this.

[@caulkins69]

I also live in Oregon, but oddly have never been to the Evergreen Aviation Museum. I did watch them transport the Spruce Goose to its current location in 1993. It was supposed to have been the largest thing ever shrink-wrapped.

[@hoangtran4736]

"I won't tell you the nickname for birch" lmao

[@SimonCleric]

I just love how he's sitting right next to "do not sit" sign xD

[@stimproid]

Simon=BOSS

[@caulkins69]

Local TV news personalities have sat there as well. They'll allow it for publicity's sake.

[@Spudeaux]

How can a guy who works at an aircraft museum believe that the biggest thing flying in 1947 was the DC-3???

[@shebbs1]

Or the B-17 they actually show when he says that! Several bombers were larger and/or carried much bigger loads than the over-rated B-17. Cue jingoistic American outrage...

[@romansroad2007]

Maybe they mention for the public time of flying?

[@Spudeaux]

@@romansroad2007 There were quite a few planes larger than the DC-3 flying passenger service before the war. The largest of which would be the Boeing 314 flying boat used by Pan Am for their trans Atlantic service. The comparison to the DC-3 is good for giving a reference to a common aircraft, but it's flat out wrong to suggest it was the biggest.

[@AsukaLangleyS02]

Owain Shebbeare Jingoism is love on the count of my lumbago

[@Fooglmog]

The B-36 comes to mind... it was flying by 1947. More than twice the wingspan of the DC-3.

[@BCaldwell]

This was one of my favorites Simon and Shell! Great work guys.... This was simply amazing in every way possible!

[@charlesdorval394]

That's for that bonus fact shot, one of my favorites, I can't imagine how great it'd be being so close to one

[@BowlingGreenTampaMan]

Even before your closing comments I was thinking you really seemed to be enjoying being on location.

[@millermonsterair]

Crossout... its basically like Mad Max, but just not called that.

[@JEBavido]

I'm so glad you filmed and mentioned the SR-71 Blackbird! My favorite plane of all time!

[@mrs.josiemolitor2833]

Loving this video :D it's so awesome to see Simon out there and to "go along" with his tour of the plane

[@tymikesell]

PLEASE do the SR-71 Blackbird VID!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@liru651]

I prefer the Spruce Moose myself.

[@Thurston86]

Li Ru Agreed. Although, I would hate to be forced into it at gunpoint.

[@SuperMegaCoffeeGuru]

You would need a Launchpad to take off the Spruce Moose.

[@davidgrover5996]

I liked that episode of that cartoon too Li Ru.

[@445cat]

Great vid cast and crew! Thank you!

[@supraking85]

Amazing video. Loved every minute. Thanks guys. Keep up the good work

[@spacecatboy2962]

that plane is just big enough to hold howard huges balls. Funny that he was scared of tiny microscopic things, but not scared of giant flying machines

[@mephisto7549]

confederate flag? pathetic

[@karensellers5344]

All geniuses are more than a little bit crazy!

[@Staaxx]

@@mephisto7549 r/wooooooosh

[@spacecatboy2962]

boy youre tellin me, it aint easy being brilliant @Davvy Jannes

[@spacecatboy2962]

ive known some real dummies that were quite crazy as well. @@karensellers5344

[@H3xx99]

The SR71 is a beast of a plane. The outer panels actually have a small gap in them to compensate for thermal expansion caused by the air friction while going so damn fast. It would get so hot that the pilot could heat his lunch on the windowsill. Currently Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks facility is designing the successor of the SR71, the SR72. It's supposed to be a hypersonic UAV stealth bomber. Interesting thing about the missiles for a plane going that fast, is that they're more like spears. There isn't a rocket engine that can propel the missile faster than the plane, so the plane has to drop the missile and it travels to the target using only the plane's momentum. Now if only we had leaders responsible enough to be trusted with a weapon like that. 😔

[@H3xx99]

Zero Cool I don't know, urban sanitation has a lot to be said for.

[@fuduzan5562]

If we had someone who could be trusted with a weapon like that, they wouldn't need a weapon like that in the first place.

[@Yrouel86]

I read that because of those gaps the plane leaked fluids while on the ground, fascinating to think about

[@H3xx99]

fuduzan5562 THANK YOU! SOMEONE WHO GETS IT!!!

[@joer8854]

@Zero Cool Submarines that launched aircraft.

[@davidsteward9144]

Thank you so much for this episode. Saw aspects of this airplane I had never seen. The cockpit video was especially interesting and I am so jealous that you were able to sit in the pilot’s seat! Hopefully you were able to just sit and look out the windows to imagine the view in Long Beach harbor as the craft was taxied and made a hop.

[@MiscMitz]

Such a cool plane. I was raised not too far from there and have been several times. Thanks for the memories.

[@Denpachii]

Your audio and music volume is all over the place, very disrupting.

[@JP-dz5oj]

If you think this plane is big, you should look up the KX-03. A 500 ton plane designed by the Japanese during WW2, and allegedly would have been twice the size of the Spruce Goose.

[@-The-Darkside]

key words, would have

[@D_U_N_E]

Its kind of like saying "If you think the Maus is big you should check out the Ratte"

[@stimproid]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[@shebbs1]

@@stimproid It was definitely planned, but nothing was ever built. Just a pipe-dream really.

[@stvdagger8074]

If you think that the KX-03 is big you should check out the Heli-Carrier that Stan Lee designed! It allegedly would have carried a whole wing of fighters.

[@bobbieratclif9519]

Your love for aviation is refreshing. Since it appears you enjoyed your time with the Spruce goose the next museum that I personally think is the best is in Dayton Ohio USA. Wright Air Force Museum will blow your mind away. As a paraplegic I live in a wheelchair full-time but this is the one and only time rolling actually gave me better angles to see, it but actually smelling it and touching it. That’s when we connect with HISTORY.

[@redchic]

Welcome to Oregon! And many thanks for bringing some worldly attention to one of our treasures. Glad the weather was decent for you. I live less than an hour from the Evergreen museum and take my nieces and nephews there on occasion.

[@1man1comment63]

you need to wear a mic

[@merlingallagher4484]

He actually does wear a lavalier microphone

But adult Irish men are so heavy to carry around. Besides, they're so last season.

[@davidwold2418]

Absolutely loved this video. I have been to the museum many times and it never gets old.

[@Yamil97]

I found this incredibly fascinating. Definitely learned things I didn't know about this amazing, massive plane. Thank you!

[@ddgatewood71]

Aircraft have always been one of my favorite things. I'm so glad you got this opportunity.

[@TrikeSquadron]

I got to see the H-4 Hercules when she was on display in Long Beach, CA for a short while before being moved up there. amazing plane. I am so glad it was preserved. Wish it was still down in my area here in Long Beach where she made her historic flight, but I am glad at least the plane is now on display again!

[@amapparatistkwabena]

This is awesome, Simon! Do more of these, please! You've made this channel so amazing, man, and I'm happy you're now doing so well. :)

[@MarcusWolfWanders]

thanks so much for showing off the sr-71. it's one of my three favorite planes, along with the a10 thunderbolt II warthog and the AC-130

[@Erdanya]

I've been bingeing on your videos for a while now (randomly encountering beardless Simon is kinda funny) but you really have outdone yourself here. Also love your excitement about the SR-71 - I entirely share your fascination with it. I've seen a fair amount of tanks and airplanes in museums, but I still hope to see this one myself someday. Awesome video, and I hope you enjoyed your time across the pond.

[@turbosdolphin]

Incredible video Simon! Love aircraft. Love these on the scene videoes! 😊

[@TheHua89]

I'm glad you made it to the Pacific Northwest! I hope you enjoyed your time in my neck of the woods, and if you ever find yourself in the neighborhood again you are always welcome I'm Vancouver Island😀

[@isaacray8530]

What a treat i drive up that way 2-3 times in a month - i really enjoyed the cut away of the zero engine. Huge amount of history stored there. Worth the trip!

[@Billywashere89]

So much win I've been to this museum and I still learned new stuff in this video, thanks for the awesome content

[@johntaylor-lo8qx]

Wow, excellent work here. Well researched, well produced, just a jem of a mini documentary. I only wish it was longer, I could have watched a movie on this plane. Excellent job, thank you.

[@fabquenneville]

Amazing short documentary Thank you

[@Erin-Thor]

Kudos! This may just well be the best Spruce Goose Documentary I’ve ever seen! I had always thought that Hughes was already going crazy when he built this, and he had lost the contract because a wood plane hauling tanks was not feasible. That it was a prototype, end of the war, wood because it was wartime and metals were in high demand, and different because he had to use non-aeronautical college students to design it! The press tore his wood plane idea to pieces in the papers but YOU explained why it was all done. THANKS!

[@AnimatedAirlines]

I been to that museum a lot of times and it's one of my favorites by far. I recommend it

[@godhatesusall85]

I live two miles away from that museum! Cool to see you in the area! Cheers!

[@Stumpy7191]

Fantastic job on the video! I love how you went out on a limb to try a new type of video!

[@naberville3305]

I've been to the spruce goose on multiple occasions and sat where you did as well. It is truly magnificent and few words can describe it's presence.

[@JimP226]

The Evergreen Aviation Museum is nothing short of amazing. Any plane lover should find their way there. I didn't realize when I went how massive the Spruce Goose was. Larger wing span than a B-52. Incredible.

[@DiscoveryBalochistan]

This is amazing stuff... Thanks for all the work Simon✨✌️

[@benlitfin2275]

Love this video! It's great that you are trying to provide perspective. Been there, saw that and the other way cool things. There are differnt tanks outside. Planes, helocopters, jets and space vehicles inside. There is 747, on a roof of a building, that has water tubes coming out of it and going back inside the building to a swiming pool. On the 4th of July there are major fireworks shot off. I grew up in neighboring town (Newberg) but now live in Missouri. When I get a chance to go back I like to visit that museum.

[@lancenetworkv5938]

i've stood where you started the vid, it's not far from where i'm from. super glad you got eyes on the sr71! love that place.

[@transtubular]

Hope you enjoyed your trip to the NW. I was actually working in the old Kaiser Shipyards when it came through on Barge on it's way to the museum. It was spectacular even without the wings attached. I was also fortunate enough to be able to get up close to the SR71 as it was being delivered to the museum a few years later. They stopped in Woodland WA on the way down.

[@ZekeGraal]

Thank you for doing a special for the Goose! It warms my aircraft mechanic's heart!

[@KAMIKAZEKITTIES]

I had the good fortune of visiting the museum and going inside that plane a few years ago. I couldn't get over at the time that such a big propeller driven craft actually flew (if only for a very short while)...

[@DrunknPanda76]

I loved this video! So happy to see such a BIG part of aviation history.

[@celtekrider2]

Your awesome for calling it by its name and not the bashful media's "spruce goose" headline. They wanted to hate Howard and after he proved them wrong, they still had to make fun of it. They had no idea how genius Howard really was for designing, building, and flying his H-4 Hercules! Howard is such an inspiration 🙌

[@Amy-zb6ph]

I saw the SR-71 fly when I was a kid. My dad worked with the Air Force as a military contractor and we would always go to the air shows. Some time in the 80s, an SR-71 actually flew in the air show. It was cool.

[@JesusDisciple916]

I've watched this channel forever and I'm just now seeing you were here right by my house. I wish I could have known, so I could meet you. That would have been great!! I'm a 22 year US Air Force veteran and I volunteer at the museum. Maybe sometime you could come for an air show? If you're ever able to come back to Oregon, I can turn you on to some cool stories for content on your channel. If you ever do make it back, please contact me. Keep up the great work!! I love your channels!!!

[@rileywagner]

The quality of this channel is so underrated. Deserves 20 Mil subs

[@speedy97979]

Love the video anything Howard Hughes did was amazing. The bonus fact of the SR-71 is great. That is a beautiful and amazing plane itself. Keep up the great videos

[@alottalogic]

Simon I'm so jealous you saw Howard's baby in person, eventually I'll get out there... If you haven't made it to the aviation museum in DC, you have to go, it's amazing and well worth a few days, if you're a fan. Thank you and the whole crew, sponsors and historian for this video.

[@adamhovey407]

My grandfather was actually in the Airborne during World War II, in the US Army, so I like seeing stuff like that

[@Insectoid_]

Awesome work guys!!

[@AlphaGator9]

Simon - i think i am jealous of your work! I would love to continually learn new things! Thank you for sharing all of your work. And your team's.

[@coltsinglearmy]

Awwww! You can tell he is very happy! :)

[@everzeber420]

Really cool to get to see your most fun to make video to date. I liked it too. I thought it was sad to hear that he wanted to take it out many times but never did.

[@mitchelvalentino1569]

The world of aviation has generally never given Howard Hughes the credit he deserves. He was a helluva engineer and true pioneer of aviation. Thank you for this video.

[@x-cessiveobserver2385]

I really enjoy this style of the show! Keep it up Simon

[@JohnSmith-fb7nz]

Good to see you outside the studio Simon. More.

[@Arthur__Dent]

The on location thing is amazing. Seriously!

[@alex0589]

i just want to go on a parabolic flight in something that big, just imagine... Interesting video guys, the sound mix is as wild as a grizzly but still very cool.

[@rrr536]

Awesome video Simon, hope you enjoyed my beautiful home state of Oregon. Always watch every video on each channel you put out have been for years! Keep up the good work.