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H-4 model side profile, showing all eight engines (in real life, each propeller has over 17-foot diameter), black line on fuselage is propeller blade demarcation indicator (warning that propeller blades or its air wash would endanger any person crossing underneath it, usually these lines are in red, but decided to use thin black decals instead).  H-4 capacity designed to carry 2 medium size tanks (for 1940s-era, that was either US Sherman or Lee tanks), 750 troops or 420 stretcher cases for wounded combatants. M4 Sherman - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_tank
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Commencing seaplane project in 1942, the Hercules (plane's officially titled) was originally designated HK-1 (named after its builders Hughes and Kaiser), they were able to secure $18 million from US Reconstruction Finance Corporation to fund the project. After WW2, Hughes was accused of war profiteering and investigated by US Congress over H-4 design and prototype delays.
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Inset 1 : Photo of actual H-4 interior mid-section, showing its rib-cage design looking towards aircraft rear. Being about 220 feet (~70 yards) in length, almost size of an American football field. Interesting linguistic note is that Soccer is known as Football throughout the world, former term used only in US. American football - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football
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Rollover : H-4 model underside, serial number NX37602 was one used during 1947 Long Beach test taxi flight. NX-title referred to its prototype stage, after short 1-mile maiden flight 70- feet above Long Beach harbor, Hughes dropped X-title and changed seaplane serial number to N37602. Seaplane - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaplane
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Hughes-Kaiser collaboration on Hercules project collapsed within one year, Kaiser (being a modular ship builder) thought seaplane could be designed, prototyped, and produced in 10 months by using existing airframes and engine components. Hughes countered that for trans-atlantic flight carrying such enormous military supplies, a completely new seaplane design and powerplant must be implemented. After Kaiser's departure, Hughes continued by himself and redesignated project as H-series, it underwent series of design modifications resulting in final H-4 prototype. Hughes H-4 Hercules - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules
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Inset 2 : 1993 photo of H-4 floated out of its Long Beach-California exhibition dome, with engines already removed, seaplane being prepared for disassembly for land transport to Evergreen Aviation Museum in  McMinnville, Oregon. Hughes detested seaplane unofficial nickname Spruce Goose labeled by the Press and project critics, but it has since adopted into American vernacular, hence Spruce Goose is brand recognized as the H-4 Hercules. Evergreen Aviation Museum - www.sprucegoose.org
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