Howard Hughes H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose”, It had military applications and was a colossal seaplane

The giant commercial seaplane era ended in the Pacific with the classic Boeing B-314. But Howard Hughes had other ideas- the colossal

H-4 Hercules ("Spruce Goose" as it was nicknamed.) It was a stunning seaplane from any angle but, like the B-314, the era of the commercial seaplane was over and Hughes's seaplane was just slightly too late. It had possible military applications but the end of WW-II sealed its fate. It was not until the Boeing 747 decades later that an American aircraft company attempted anything on this scale, but never again as a seaplane.

The Hughes H-4 Hercules The giant commercial seaplane era ended in the Pacific with the classic Boeing B-314. But Howard Hughes had other ideas- the colossal H-4 Hercules ("Spruce Goose" as it was nicknamed.) It was a stunning seaplane from any angle but, like the B-314, the era of the commercial seaplane was over and Hughes's seaplane was just slightly too late. It had possible military applications but the end of WW-II sealed its fate. It was not until the Boeing 747 decades later that an American aircraft company attempted anything on this scale, but never again as a seaplane.

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