It’s been a while since Asobo presented us with any new aircraft. But in this latest 40th Anniversary Edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator, we get seven classics, two helicopters, two sailplanes and an Airbus A310-300. In this review, we’re having a closer look at some of them and my assignment is the 1947 Hughes H-4 Hercules, also commonly known as the 'Spruce Goose' or 'Flying Lumberyard'.
The aircraft is something of an oddity because it only ever made one flight, on November 2, 1947. It’s also one of a kind, being the only example ever produced. Even the name is a misnomer as it was primarily built from birch, not spruce.
It was designed by Howard Hughes in collaboration with shipbuilder Henry J Kaiser, who later became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. Originally the H-4 was built to transport war materials and personnel to Britain because at the time Allied shipping crossing the Atlantic was taking heavy casualties from German U-Boats. However, due to Howard Hughes insistence on perfection, Henry J Kaiser left the project, the result being that it was not completed until well after the war ended. Consequently, the contract was cancelled, however, Howard Hughes continued alone until it was finished.
It…
