This month´s cover ...

The cover featres Howard Hughes\´ HK-l (H-4) Flying Boat - better known by its nickname "Spruce Goose." This one-of-a-kind airplane is the main exhibit at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon, USA. The Ford Trimotor in the foreground gives some idea of size. The largest airplane ever constructed, it was made of laminated birch (as aluminum was critical for other uses during World War II). The idea for a massive plane to supply Allied troops in WWII - avoiding Axis submarines - was Henry J. Kaiser\´s. He turned to Howard Hughes for execution of his vision. Both men, innovators and achievers, became legends of their time; their lives, deeds, and accomplishments are documented elsewhere. Flying only once, November 2, 1947, the Spruce Goose used eight 3000-hp P& W engines driving 17+foot propellers to achieve a cruising speed of 150 mph at 5000 feet altitude, with a range of 2,975 miles. Some dimensions: wingspan: 319\´ 11"; length: 218\´8"; tail width: 113+ feet; tail height: 79\´4"; empty weight: 300,000 pounds; takeoff weight: 400,000 pounds; payload: 750 troops or two Sherman tanks. By contrast: the B-17 wingspan is 103+ feet; a football field 300 feet. Our thanks to Katherine Huit (who took the cover photo) and to Nicole Wahlberg at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.