H-4 Hercules - a giant dream

The Hughes H-4 Hercules is a heavy military transport aircraft - a giant flying boat, created by the Hughes Aircraft Company in the mid-1940s.
The H-4 is one of the largest aircraft ever built in the history of aviation, competing in size even with today's large airliners and transport aircraft. At its time, the H-4 was an immeasurable giant, which made it a celebrity even at the stage of creation and the main brainchild of Howard Hughes.
Nevertheless, despite its size and capabilities, the Hercules never made it to the operational stage, spending in the air in a single flight a total of less than a minute.
In this video, we will get to know this giant, go through its winding and scandalous path, and also find out why the Hercules is better known not by its official name, but by the nickname Spruce Goose.
Welcome aboard!
Subscribe to the channel, comment, like!
If you want to support Skyships and our work, welcome to our Patreon. We will create some special content for you there: / skyships
Our Facebook: / skyshipscom
Our Instagram: / skyships_world
00:00 - Introduction
00:42 - Battle of the Atlantic
02:05 - The flying transport
07:49 - The Hercules description
13:21 - The first and final flight

[@wantaburger1622]

I’ve been inside the Hercules, it is an amazing feat of engineering. I strongly encourage anyone in the area to go to the museum as well.

[@SkyshipsEng]

Next time I get to the US, I will go to museums for several months

[@YYZ-SRQ]

@@SkyshipsEng make sure you go to the USAF museum in Dayton Ohio, spectacular for any aviation buff but allow yourself at least 2 days

[@deathcamel]

Even standing in the same room as it, its really hard to get a grasp on just how big it really is. You have to keep reminding yourself that its an actual airplane and not a structural element of the building.

[@dMb1790]

@@YYZ-SRQ That museum has been on my bucket list for long time. Their collection is ridiculous.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

@@SkyshipsEng Rather incredibly, I've heard the aircraft accused of being so underpowered as to being not capable of flight and that it was only the ground effect that let the plane hover in front of the cameras.

[@ianmorris7485]

I find it kind of funny that a wooden based aircraft was found to be the subject of derision given that one of the most effective combat aircraft during World War 2 was the "Wooden Wonder", the De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito.

[@danpatterson8009]

If you visit the Evergreen museum, definitely pay the extra for the guided tour of the H4. I was fortunate to be the only person on my tour so I was able to get in a lot of questions. The flight was a trick by Hughes, as the aircraft was only supposed to do taxi tests that day. During the flight a very large crack appeared in the rear fuselage just ahead of the tail, seen all too well by an engineer riding there- and the subsequent repairs are plainly visible from the outside. Not only did Hughes keep the H4 in storage for decades, he also kept a flight crew on standby. The clamshell doors seen in the video were never installed but were also kept all those years, until Evergreen bought the H4. The new owners then scrapped the doors to save money on storage!

[@m.richmond9839]

My son and I just took the guided tour - well worth the cost.

[@dennismason3740]

My mom worked for Hughes Aircraft from the mid-fifties to the early sixties. We lived in Inglewood until I was 8 and I would marvel at the Connies taking off and landing at LAX. I think that the Constellation is the most beautiful airplane ever.

[@jacksonross7697]

I'm lucky to live in McMinnville just down the road from this beauty. It's fun to show her off when people come to visit, and I see her at least a few times a week when I drive down the highway (the museum has huge windows in front).

[@realArisawaHeavyInd]

Imagine being able to build this absolute enormity just to prove that you could do it LOL knowing that it was basically going to be a museum piece and a complete writeoff. Hughs may have gone nutter butters but god damn it's nice to see corporate executives who are actually engineers (and in his case, a pilot) too.

[@motorTranz]

I toured the Spruce Goose when she was still in Long Beach. This was one of your best episodes. Thank you Sky!

[@ZPositive]

The museum that holds the Hercules is top notch. If you ever visit the Pacific Northwest, I highly recommend checking it out.

[@stebnalang2824]

I am so happy that Skyships is still flying!

[@AndreyPutilov]

Maybe is flying to local cities on SSJ-100, because international flights are mostly cancelled. Oh, I saw in the news there are new flights to Armenia!

[@Chris-nn3vu]

@@AndreyPutilov npc

[@Phrancis5]

Having seen the Spruce Goose in person in Oregon, it's insane how much it dwarfs all the WW2 bomber and other planes around it - also that it was built so long ago and mostly wood... As far as the material goes, I've built a 17' sea kayak out of wood, epoxy, and fiberglass cloth, which rivals the lightness and strength of carbon fiber kayaks - and don't forget the wooden British Mosquito was on of the fastest planes of WW2.

[@sidefx996]

Thank you for showing both Hughes and the Hercules the respect they deserve. Another fantastic video!

[@SkyshipsEng]

Howard Hughes was very interesting person, that's right

[@the_cheese]

I remember the first time I saw the Spruce Goose in 1988 in Long Beach, CA; it is difficult to put into words how enormous the plane is, especially when you're standing under the wings and tail. In 2010 I got the chance to sit in the plane's cockpit, down at McMinnville. Such a thrill! Thanks for this look at an engineering marvel, Sky!

[@flyerkiller5073]

Only now I found out that the goose was going to Long Beach. Been there many times and didn't know

[@jamesleonard3390]

I saw in in Long Beach also, in the 80s. The height of the tail is what I remember being kinda shocked by. I love The Flying Boats and the Spruce Goose is KING!

[@coreyandnathanielchartier3749]

To place it's size in perspective, the tail plane on the H-4 has roughly the same span at the wings of a B-17 or Lancaster. Great video, I always enjoy the mix of visual references as you work through the monologue.

[@AdamTrautmanBowling]

Seen the plane twice in my life. It always amazes me how awesome the engineering was back then

[@marcmcfarland1153]

I went to this when it was still in California and toured it and the Queen Mary. They were amazing.

[@airliners6430]

Another FANTASTIC video, Sky! I say this in the best possible way, but your command of typical, conversational English is so excellent. As someone who often utterly fails at Russian in my attempt to read old Aeroflot manuals, I’m in awe of your ability to do this in two languages. Keep up the amazing work!

[@Colaholiker]

It's not just that,the fact that he is able to add his humorous notes like Hughes "not suffering from modesty" in a foreign language is cool! I absolutely love his style of narration.

[@jamesleonard3390]

I just wish he had converted KPH to MPH, dead giveaway that the speaker is European =] I seem to remember it took off at around 80 mph,whatever the heck that is in KPH lols =]

[@alimtimm7355]

When I was 7 yrs old I went inside it. I literally moved the yoke and shook the plane after like 67 yrs of being inactive. The tour guide said, from what I remember: “alright, dude If you were older u would have got in sooooo much trouble!!!”

[@davidchristensen6908]

If you can go see this plane. It is amazing and you have no idea how big it is until you see it. Good video 👍

[@crankychris2]

Today, the Spruce Goose is at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in Oregon, restored, and is quite popular with the public. Moving her there was quite an undertaking in itself.

[@Victor_Z]

Loved the video! (especially the chapters now). I have been watching this channel for less than half a year but I must say you are the only person I can find who gives the history and details of every flying machine I wanted to know more about. Quick question, could you (in the future) cover the Arado 234 B-2? Thank you in advance and looking forward to your future endeavors!

[@SkyshipsEng]

Thank you for support. Arado is a very interesting plane, maybe we will make a video about it later

[@RobSchofield]

This was GREAT! You've really upped your game, well done. Glad to see you're back, looking forward to the next one.

[@robbyowen9107]

Thanks for another great video Sky!

[@johnwiles4391]

Another well done video on an interesting and historically important aircraft. If I could make a suggestion, it seems youtube is sparse about the Tupolev ANT 25, that remarkable and beautiful super long range airplane of 1930s Soviet Russia. It made quite a splash at the time as well as alarmed some military planners of the time. Anyway, thanks for all your great videos!

[@eddiecharles6457]

Thanks for this video.

[@leonawdisho6609]

Sky I love your videos keep it up .. I always comment in your videos from Toronto Canada .

[@tomrankin4530]

Thank you for this video. You told the story very well.

[@skyden24195]

Wonderful video. I got to visit the Spruce Hercules during the 80's when it was in Long Beach. My grandma took me and my siblings to see the behemoth (as well as the Queen Mary.) I got a scale model from the gift shop that I never finished putting together, I think it might have been just too big of a project for me at the time.

[@axel_x8954]

i also felt that "was" :(

[@SkyshipsEng]

Tragedy

[@timaz1066]

Nice video and nice fax well done

[@yangguzheng3544]

glad to hear it still exists in a museum somewhere!

[@thebeansthathang3671]

Do the c17 globemaster 3 please it is my favorite plane

[@frankgaleon5124]

Oh, 3D models are coming to the Skyships. Awesome

[@flyerkiller5073]

Now he can make a videos about more exotic planes I guess

[@theussmirage]

Skyships now joins the visual effects ranks of Mustard and Found/Explained

[@thomasjoyce7910]

4:23 Aluminium is a pure metal, an element on the Periodic Table. It's not an alloy. 'Alloy' isn't a synonym for 'metal'. It is a specific word for a combination of (generally) metals.

[@markdoldon8852]

True, but the element of aluminum isn't suitable for structural use. It is virtually always aluminum ALLOYS that are used in marine and aircraft use. So without getting into unnecessary explanation (about a material that WASNT greatly used on the Hercules) the use of the term alloy in this context is accurate. enough.

[@hafizfirliansyah7784]

imagine this behemoth flying boat capable when dealing wildfires.

[@COIcultist]

You explained that the "Spruce Goose" was actually made from birch plywood. Now Birch ply is different than how Sir Geoffrey de Havilland did things, but I thought there might be some mention of the other wooden wonder, the de Havilland Mosquito.

[@m.richmond9839]

According to the tour guide we had, when we visited the goose last month, the construction workers referred to the plane as the "birch bitch"

[@timbaskett6299]

I've gotten to tour the H-4 twice. At the Evergreen Aerospace Museum. There are few aircraft that I would like to see a modern version of, but the "Spruce Goose" is one of them, along with the P-38, and P-39/63 series.

[@greateraviationgl91]

"An marvel of engineering plane made by a pioneer businessman and aviator with a nickname that comes from a material out of American wilderness and perhaps so huge for it's time" By the way, Leonardo Dicapprio was the closest man to play Howard Hughes 👍

[@andrewvanbibber3885]

It was very cool to see in person after touring the Queen Mary and submarine.

[@EXPLORINGWITHMEDAVE]

Loving this channel,ever thought doing one on the bae atp,flown on it so many times and its still flying here in the uk as cargo,,and why was it called the advanced turbo prop....subed.

[@beefgoat80]

1:20 not the kind of "uh-oh" I was expecting 🤣🤣🤣

[@davidosaje4100]

Could you do a video on the XB-70 Valkyrie?

[@greenseaships]

I prefer Spruce Goose! Like Spad or SLUF, a derogatory term that became a term of affection.

[@justme-hh4vp]

8:36 The deliberate use of the past tense here was very poignant. I was very sad to learn of the amazing aircraft's destruction outside of Kiev. When I heard about I didn't even want to look at pictures. Now the internet is all we have to remember the Mriya. It carried the legacy of the H-4 Hercules.

[@flyerkiller5073]

Interesting, that the H-4 can handle much less payload than the C-17. Jet engines rule

[@yangguzheng3544]

salute to turbofans

[@startingbark0356]

*laughs in contra rotating props*

[@BaronVonHobgoblin]

I never knew that Hughes was not the visionary. Yet I remember learning of "Hughes Folly" as a child. The story is a great counterpoint to James May's disingenuous assertion that "progress" is created by "The Unreasonable".

[@antoninoiiibonotan6345]

Such an incridible enginering marvel...

[@archlich4489]

Today I learned that the Spruce Goose wasn't made of wood, but a strong, lightweight wood composite material. #duramalt

[@jerrinthottan9610]

Hi Sky, please make a video on Myasishchev M17 and M55!

[@trash4cash454]

Awesome whale from the Aviator movie)

[@sonree__2906]

👍🏻✈

[@captainexcabier]

It's a shame she never got a chance to shine.

[@majorburke9735]

So important we can transport our military equipment so we can deliver them to the hands of our enemies.

[@kristensorensen2219]

#90👍Just imagine if Hughes had carbon fiber as his invention!! He proved it would fly even if no one other than him flew it. The B-36 was a giant waste of $$$!!

[@flyerkiller5073]

That guy, if he lived now, would build crazy spaceplanes

[@markdoldon8852]

Not totally true. The B-36 and other post war bombers lead directly to what came after them. Larger better bombers better engines, even civilian aircraft took lessons from those early developments. Wheras effectively, while the H4 was a great design and construction it was far more of a waste, since almost nothing of its design was ever used in future craft. It was the END of a long history of large flying boats, both for military and civilian use, whereas the early jets were the beginning of a long learning curve.

[@davidlawand2805]

whats that movie about building the H-4?

[@paogene1288]

The Aviator starring Leonardo di Caprio (If I am correct)

[@Jason-fm4my]

That plane must have been loud.

[@trash4cash454]

Crazy loud

[@PETERLINNAH]

I once stood inside the wing of this airplane. You could have a nice apartment in there.

[@farhanabdulhamid4214]

Wow Tnx bro good business ok thanks good

[@Yourejusatube]

The movie clip from ironan xD

[@aleroxit]

So sorry about the great AN 225!! Great story, rush you

[@trash4cash454]

Hope, Sky will make a video about the An-225. It was a greate plane

[@Glen.Danielsen]

Marvelous video again, Sky! By the way, are you Ukrainian? Russian? We love you in either case! 💛🙏🏼

[@Chris-nn3vu]

Npc

[@polmendez5968]

With today's technology, Mr. Hughes would have known that his H-4 plane couldn't fly. Each H-4 engine had 3,000 hp. Each engine of the An-225 has 50,000 hp. That's why Mr. Hughes's plane couldn't fly. And the An-225 flew without problems. I don't understand how Mr. Hughes did his calculations.

[@robertforster8984]

You sound like a transatlantic newscaster crosses with a Brooklyn accent.

[@Paiadakine]

I saw the HK-4 soon after Disney moved it to Long Beach next to the Queen Mary. What a plane. I wish I could have seen it when it was stored in its climate controlled hanger.

[@christopherj5780]

Spruce goose made with douglas fir.

[@HugoFdosSantos]

13:21 is this a movie scene?

[@zombiekeks5666]

Postal 2 Marchingband Music

[@thundercactus]

wasn't the De Havilland Mosquito's skin made in essentially the same way? They called it a wooden aircraft as well

[@flyerkiller5073]

In fact, many planes used this technology during the WWII

[@telkoehf175]

Boeing had to negotiate with Howard Hughes because everything had patent

[@emjackson2289]

I believe this will fly from New York's Idlewild Airport to the Belgian Congo in FIFTEEN MINUTES! Hop in!

[@letsseeif]

The Hughes H4 Hercules DIDN'T actual fly in the normal sense of the word [FLY]. It simply flew in 'GROUND EFFECT'.

[@AndreyPutilov]

It was in the video.

[@hillbilly4christ638]

It experienced more resistance to getting airborne than actually becoming airborne. The big obstacle was the government. What would have happened if the aluminum was made available for the project? They had to overcome many obstacles that were placed there by the politicians. Had it been constructed by conventional methods a working craft would have been completed far sooner. Mr. Hughes was losing it due to he feckless political climate.

[@anasevi9456]

Glad to see, you Skyships again. Dont ever mind the stupidity, just keep working as you want!

[@pacopato4047]

Eso, eso, viva la guerra y sus meganegocios de armamento

[@waynemerlo7448]

Barely ever left the ground. Kinda takes away from it's lustre.

[@markdoldon8852]

It came too late for the war. An entire war economy came screeching to a halt in 1945. That doesn't take away the glory of what was built. It simply was no longer needed.

[@chheinrich8486]

Childsplays in comparison to what the japanse were imagine

[@hafizfirliansyah7784]

SR.45 Princess definitely largest all metal flying boat H4 Hercules largest all flying boat or aircraft made entirely of wood more bigger than De Havilland Mosquito 'Wooden Wonder' (also made from wood).

[@MaxKrumholz]

You come from Russia to USA??

[@flexairz]

Contrary to Musk, Hughes was not a conman.

[@nemo6686]

So basically plywood? Nothing wrong with wood - the Mosquito was made of it, after all.

[@olivergs9840]

Why are the engines on the animation spinning the wrong way?

[@Alb410]

Was :(

[@danielkorladis7869]

Comparing Hughes to Elon Musk is a huge disservice to Hughes.

[@toomeys1965]

Please change who does your voice over. His voice is tough to listen to

[@onogrirwin]

Wood is a fantastic material for planes. You just have to make sure it is kept from rotting, and to make sure the glue is going to hold up. Wood doesn't form the same stress cracks that accumulate in aluminum designs. Look at what cold molded boats can do in terms of lightweight, complex shapes.

[@Chris-nn3vu]

It's ALUMINIUM educate yourself

[@onogrirwin]

@@Chris-nn3vu ?

[@JavierBonilla78]

To say that Howard Hughes was the Elon Musk of those days is rude.

[@Naduron0]

Thank God it was turned into

[@HeathLedgersChemist]

Please don't compare Hughes to Musk. Hughes actually built things.

[@Eternal_Tech]

SpaceX and Tesla do build things, too.

[@HeathLedgersChemist]

@@Eternal_Tech Tesla and Spacex are not Musk. Musk is a salesman, not an engineer.

[@phillip6500]

I finally got it. Expected loss of life from the invasion of Japan . A quick way to get more soldiers to resupply invasion. Then war ended

[@stay_at_home_astronaut]

Not a "seaplane", nor a "hydroplane" the proper nomenclature for this aircraft is "flying boat".

[@bikee4]

I'm sorry to ask this question, forgive me if i"m mistaken. Are you Russian? If so why are you still on youtube? (I'm a clueless American on the other side of the world) BTW I i love your content!

[@Kovalio]

As I know he is and probably uses VPN. Love all videos on this channel also. And it is not his fault that Russias idiot president Vladimir Adolf Putler started war with Ukraine that he calls "special military operation". BTW I'm from Poland 🇵🇱

[@hewhohasnoidentity4377]

Just like, subscribe and enjoy the video please.

[@Colaholiker]

I think it is safe to say that he is Russian (it is pretty obvious when you watch other videos on this channel). Not sure how he does it (and I won't elaborate on this topic here for obvious reasons), but there are ways of going around internet restrictions. On a less "hot topic", many US news websites have a filter in place that they can't be accessed from the European Union where I live, most likely because they don't want to deal with our complicated rules about personal data protection. (Can't blame them...) When I try accessing them, I only get a message that reads "This content is not available in your region". But still there is a way that I can get access to them easily. ;-)

[@Chris-nn3vu]

Ignorant

[@Chris-nn3vu]

@@Colaholiker why would you want to read that garbage for?

[@jacobzimmermann59]

It's a little bit unfair to compare Spruce Goose to the Titanic. It may have been an industrial and economic failure (or probably rather a white elephant), but it didn't cause anyone's death due to design flaws and operating mistakes like the Titanic did.

[@Chris-nn3vu]

Bigot

[@itsyeeoledskoolfurry3208]

Who are "THEY"!??? WHO are "THEY"!!??? You NEED to state WHO "they" ARE!!!! You can't start out a video with "they" WITHOUT stating WHO "they" ARE!!!!!

[@owenshebbeare2999]

Take a deep breath.

[@itsyeeoledskoolfurry3208]

@@owenshebbeare2999 Who are you man? Really? And what in tar-nation is that supposed to mean?

[@maartentoors]

07:28 "And leave the country, Altogether" yeah... say it again about "Antonov 225" You are good, but nope to Russia. 🇺🇦

[@nenomiusdasbevolkuet9327]

Yes, it is sad that the legacy of the Soviet Union is destroyed.

[@maartentoors]

@Uncle Joe True, I just wish everybody else would wake up.I love planes, I love flying, I love peace. edit: I still absolutely love you Sky.

[@Chris-nn3vu]

NPC

[@sergioc.6882]

It never flyies....... Only a couple of meters over sea level...its a joke....😁

[@shakiMiki]

Dude, are you in denial about what's going on in your world?

[@OvertravelX]

Knock it off and enjoy the video. Everyone knows.

[@danmartin7823]

Even the Russians don’t like Putin…

[@Colaholiker]

What would you prefer: Him stating publicly that he is against what is going on, just to disappear from KZbin forever because he was thrown in some Russian jail for what he did? Him saying that he supports what his government is doing, causing a lot of uproar among his viewers? Or or him to saying anything about current events and continuing to produce great aviation content the same way he has done for so long now? Not sure about you, but I definitely prefer the last of the three options. Laws in Russia have become really strict about what you can and can't say when it comes to current events, it is nowhere near what people in the western world understand as "freedom of speech". I hope he continues working the way he did before without any reference to current events beyond his regrets about the largest aircraft in the world having been destroyed.

[@YYZ-SRQ]

He is a regular guy like you and me with a passion about airplanes, he is not in the military, he is not in the Putin regime, he is not an Oligarch, he is not a decision maker on the invasion of Ukraine, however unlike us that live in North America we can protest against the government for change without the fear of being jailed for unknown time. You have no idea how strict (and unfair) laws are in Russia.

[@Chris-nn3vu]

Ignorant comment 🙄