Tradewinds November 2018 Web Opt

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Howard Hughes’s “Spruce Goose” flies
by Tara Ross
In 1947, the “Spruce Goose” flies for the first and
only time. With a wingspan of 320 feet, it remains the
largest airplane to ever take to the sky. Did you know that
the largest plane ever flown was designed by Howard
Hughes? And that it flew decades ago, in 1947?
The idea for the seaplane was born during World War II.
When the United States first entered World War II, the
Battle of the Atlantic was in full swing. It was not going
well. German U-boats were a formidable force, and they
were sinking hundreds of Allied vessels. The difficult
situation prompted an idea: What if Americans had something
even bigger than a cargo plane? What if troops and
supplies could be transported by large flying boats?
By September 1942, Kaiser and Hughes were authorized
to begin building prototypes for the military, but they were
also instructed not to use certain materials that were
considered critical to the war effort. Hughes would have to
figure out how to build the world’s largest airplane—out of
wood.
Critics began calling it the “Flying Lumberyard” or the
“Spruce Goose,” which irritated Hughes. The official name
of the plane at that juncture was HK-1.
Soon, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser seized on the idea. He
was then known for constructing huge hydroelectric dams
and American Liberty ships. Now he proposed to build a
fleet of flying boats, too.
Kaiser had just one problem: He had no experience in the
aviation sector. At first, it seemed that his idea might flounder,
but then two things swung in his favor: First, public
pressure was building to do something. The casualties at
sea kept climbing. Second, the renowned Howard Hughes
agreed to help.
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To order Tara’s books, go to this link:
http://www.taraross.com/books/
Tara Ross is a mother, wife, writer, and retired lawyer. She is
the author of The Indispensable Electoral College: How the
Founders’ Plan Saves Our Country from Mob Rule,Enlightened
Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College, co-author of
Under God: George Washington and the Question of Church
and State (with Joseph C. Smith, Jr.), & We Elect A President:
The Story of our Electoral College. She is a constitutionalist,
but with a definite libertarian streak! Stay tuned here for updates
on pretty much anything to do with the Electoral College,
George Washington, & our wonderfully rich American heritage.
28 Albemarle Tradewinds November 2018 albemarletradewinds.com