How come Howard Hughess “Spruce Goose” flew only once?
Dear Cecil: Howard Hughes’s H-4 (the “Spruce Goose”) flew only one time, in 1947. Somewhere it was written that Hughes detected a vibration or pulsating in the aircraft frame or in the control wheel right after he lifted off and decided to set the H-4 back down rather than take a big risk that it would be uncontrollable if he gained more altitude. It was also said that he was just proving that it would indeed fly for the senators and that he just wanted to prove it by flying only a very short distance. What is the straight dope?
