Hughes H-4 Hercules – fotografie a videá

Komisia Hughes H-4 Herkules (tiež známy ako Spruce Goose; registrácia NX37602) je prototyp strategickej leteckej leteckej lode navrhnutej a vyrobenej spoločnosťou Hughes Aircraft Company. Určený ako transatlantická letecká doprava na použitie počas druhej svetovej vojny, nebol dokončený včas, aby sa použil vo vojne. Lietadlo uskutočnilo iba jeden krátky let 2. novembra 1947 a projekt nikdy nepokročil nad rámec jediného vyrobeného príkladu. Postavený z dreva kvôli vojnovým obmedzeniam používania hliníka a obavám o hmotnosť, bol prezývaný kritikmi smreková hus, aj keď bola vyrobená takmer výlučne z brezy. Hercules je najväčšia lietajúca loď, aká bola kedy postavená, a má najväčší rozpätie krídel zo všetkých lietadiel, ktoré kedy leteli.

Zdrojový: Hughes H-4 Hercules na Wikipédii

Komisia Hughes H-4 Herkules was a massive flying boat designed and built by Howard Hughes and his company during World War II. It was intended to transport troops and supplies across the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding the threat of German submarines. However, the project faced many delays and challenges, and the war ended before the aircraft was completed. The H-4 Hercules only flew once, on November 2, 1947, piloted by Hughes himself.
The flight lasted for about a minute and reached an altitude of 21 meters. The aircraft was made mostly of wood, using a special laminated process, to save metal for the war effort. This earned it the nickname “Spruce Goose”, although it was actually made of birch. The H-4 Hercules had a wingspan of 97.54 meters, making it the largest lietadlo ever flown until 2019. It was powered by eight engines and could carry up to 750 soldiers or two tanks. The aircraft is now on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in Oregon, where it attracts many visitors who marvel at its size and history.