LOVELAND, Colo.—It may be only a fraction of the real thing, but building a model of Howard Hughes’ monstrous “Spruce Goose” aircraft was a mammoth task—a challenge Loveland’s Jeff Allen-Young was ready to make take flight.
The 57-year-old has spent years building a 1/20th scale model of the legendary flying boat, which he wants to get in the air again soon.
He had some success on his first two attempts but hopes some adjustments will help create a more impressive, longer-lasting flight.
“As to why I built it, I’m not exactly sure,” said Allen-Young, who builds and remodels homes for a living. “But I wanted to see if I could.”
The original aircraft was constructed by Hughes during the 1940s with the goal of creating a carrier to move troops.
The Hughes H-4 Hercules was nicknamed the “Spruce Goose” because most of the plane was made from wood.
Hughes didn’t finish it before World War II ended but still proved to critics the colossal aircraft could fly—barely.
On a November day in 1947, after a few taxi attempts, the 218-foot-long plane successfully took off from the California shoreline. It flew about a mile, reaching an altitude of 70 feet.
However, its maiden voyage was its last. Soon, the plane was moved into a Long Beach hangar, then a museum.
That’s where Allen-Young first saw the beast—and the idea to create one of his own was born.
He began his design by watching film footage of the aircraft, and later referred to a poster that listed its dimensions.
Wanting to keep every detail as close to the original as possible, Allen-Young decided on the 1/20th scale for his model.
While the scale may seem like a tiny comparison to the largest airplane ever built, the 11-foot-long model is anything but miniature.
A 16-foot wingspan is complete with eight engines, each with its own throttle controlled by a huge remote control.
And like the original “Spruce Goose,” the model’s wings and back end are made from wood.
There are a few material adjustments, though. Because of weight issues, the body is made of foam, and the engine cowlings are made from Nalgene bottles—although they’re still to scale.
“I followed (the original) as closely as I could,” Allen-Young said.
Plus, he added, Hughes’ original design would be hard to improve.
“I didn’t want to try and second-guess him. He had things figured out.”
After the massive model was completed, Allen-Young decided to see if the 110-pound aircraft could fly.
While he didn’t have an ocean available to him like Hughes did, Allen-Young scaled down the taxi takeoff to a local pond.
And the model plane builder had success on his first try.
The plane rose 7 feet in the air before the remote control pilot ran out of the water runway and had to set it down.
“I was really excited,” Allen-Young remembered.
However, during the plane’s second flight, with 40 friends watching, the model didn’t fly quite as high. Instead, it flew nose-up into the air before a not-so-smooth landing.
“It was going to be a celebration or a wake,” Allen-Young said. “Instead it was an almost-flew party.”
Determined to see his model fly beyond the water taxi, Allen-Young is making a few adjustments and planning to take off again sometime next month.
While the original “Spruce Goose” will never see the skies again, Allen-Young said he hopes its model gosling will get some air.
“I’m still wondering if it will fly,” he said. “But if you spend enough time, you can get anything done.”
