As part of the 75 year anniversary of the flight of the Spruce Goose, we are taking a look at the Spruce Goose in a 3 part series. This is the third and final article in the series, which will discusses the history post 1947 flight and taxi tests. Make sure to check out the first article in the series and the second article can be found here.
Post-Flight History
After World War 2 ended, the plane was held in storage for many years, as a full-time crew of 300 workers, all sworn to secrecy, maintained the aircraft in perfect flying condition in a climate-controlled hangar that Hughes personally paid for until his death in 1976. There is thought that Howard Hughes did have the intent to fly the Spruce Goose after the initial taxi and flight in 1947, but that never happened. Hughes had the money to fund the final development of the Spruce Goose and the maintenance of the Spruce Goose because he was worth 1.5 billion at his height, which came from his successful Hollywood film career as a producer and the Hughes Tool Company, which Hughes’ dad helped found and was instrumental in. The Hughes Tool Company patented a new drill bit, which allowed oil and gas companies to reach previously inaccessible gas deposits, which made Hughes very wealthy. Although Hughes was very wealthy, he did not have any children nor was he married, plus, there was no real understanding of how his fortune to be split up.
After Hughes died in 1976, the plane given to the Aero Club of Southern California, where the plane was housed next to the former ocean liner Queen Mary in Long Beach, California by the Aero Club of Southern California. In 1988, The Walt Disney Co. acquired the location of the plane, and as Disney did not plan to utilize the Spruce Goose, the plane had to be moved or sold. While the plane was house in Long Beach, some of the panels on the top deck of the Goose were removed and replaced with plexiglass to allow for visitors to view in. This wasn’t part of the original plane, but is important to note that the plexiglass isn’t original to the 1947 flight.
With the loss of its lease looming, the Aero Club of Southern California had a decision to make. Some options were looked into, such as selling the entire plane, or selling parts of the plane and destroy what couldn’t be sold. When it came time to make a determination about where the next home of the Spruce Goose would be, there were 2 real options available, 1 of which would keep the plane intact. The other plan was to tear the Spruce Goose apart and sell the different pieces to different museums around the US and around the world.
With the plan to keep the purchase entire plane and keep it intact, the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum led by museum co-founders Michael King Smith and Delford M. Smith purchased the Spruce Goose in 1992.
Shipping And Reconstruction
After its purchase, the Evergreen Aviation and space museum had the Spruce Goose shipped up the pacific coast of the US in barges in pieces. During its shipping down the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, the pieces of the Spruce Goose was actually the largest piece that has ever gone down the locks. We have heard stories from people that were there to witness pieces of the Goose go through the locks, that there were only a few inches on either side of the loch to spare.
After being sent to Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, the plane was reassembled by volunteers of the museum, where it now sits in a dry dock. The team of engineers took meticulous care in repainting the plane to its original colors and restoring the plane to its original look and feel. The Goose opened up for visitors in 2001. The plane is a true sight to see for all! Make sure to visit the museum and the Spruce Goose next time you are in the area.
Here are some great resources available for your further viewing pleasure and further research. Make sure to check back in with CosmosPNW for more great stories such as this one. Please feel free to provide a comment. to let us know how we’re doing or if you have suggestions for future topics or questions. Plus, make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on future stories such as this.
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