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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 4, 1997

The Day the Spruce Goose flew

By CHARLIE SCOTT
Of the News-Register

Dismantled into three dauntingly huge pieces resting inside plastic canopies at Evergreen Aviation Inc. in McMinnville, it is difficult to imagine that this, the world's largest airplane, actually flew.

But for eight of the original crew members visiting the flying boat's latest home this weekend, it's not so hard to fathom the giant bird soaring over the choppy waters of the Pacific ocean. The men, all of whom were on board during the flying boat's brief flight 50 years ago, were being filmed for a documentary about Howard Hughes craft and subsequent takeoff. The eight were treated as honored guests Saturday during Evergreen Airventure Museum's celebration of the golden anniversary of the historic event.

On Nov. 2, 1947, Howard Hughes and a crew of 17 Hughes Company employees, fired up the eight engines for what was supposed to be a continuing taxi-testing of the HK-1 flying boat. Although the crew had their suspicions, none of them were told the plane would become airborne.

Dave Grant was aboard the plane as a senior staff member for hydraulics.

"I was in the co-pilot's seat even though I was not a licensed pilot," Grant said. "We understood that Mr. Hughes would taxi the plane to test its stability and in-water control characteristics. If all went well, we should fly it the following spring.

"I knew we had lifted off when all of a sudden it became quiet ­ no bouncing on the waves. It was a big thrill for me."

Flight engineer Don Smith was on the flight deck. "We were cleared for taxi-testing. When Mr. Hughes said, 'Give me 15 degree flaps,' I knew he would take it up. The Congressional committee had called Hughes a spendthrift and said the plane would never fly. I think Mr. Hughes was surprised at the ease with which it took off. After the flight he smiled and said, 'I was just making a funny.'"

Though some of the crew suspected Hughes was anxious to take his ballyhooed bird aloft, others didn't think the time was right.

"I didn't think he would take it up. After all, there was no emergency gear on the plane, no life vests, and no training for a possible crash," engine mechanic Mel Glaser said. But knowing Howard, it didn't surprise me. When he got up to 95 mph, it suddenly got quiet. I knew then the plane was airborne."

The flight lasted about a minute, reached an altitude of 70 feet and traveled over a mile before touching down again.

"I remember it went from noisy, to quiet, to noisy," hydraulic mechanic Vic Leonard said. "I knew then we had taxied, taken off and landed. I figured that if Hughes felt comfortable with it, he might fly the plane."

Though the flight has since taken historic proportions, members of the crew didn't think it was a big deal at the time.

"I didn't think he would take it up, but I think Mr. Hughes wanted to prove to the investigating committee that it would fly," said flight mechanic Van Storm. "To us, it was just a job ­ not a historic event. We were supposed to do further checks before flying it."

The Spruce Goose, dismantled and transported by sea and land from its former home in Long Beach, Calif., will eventually become the showpiece of the proposed Capt. Michael King Smith Aviation Educational Center.

The cost of completing Evergreen's museum project is estimated at $18 million to $20 million. Organizers have raised more than $9 million so far. Museum officials also need to make a 10-acre annexation request to get the land they need for to build the 150,000-square-foot facility. Picture This Production of Gresham, the company filming the documentary, will donate a portion of the proceeds from any sale of the film to the museum. Those interested may purchase a one-hour video of the documentary. The museum also is selling coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Spruce Goose flight.

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