Existing comment:
Building the Giant
Designing and constructing such a huge aircraft was unprecedented. To avoid affecting any ongoing war production, Hughes had to use a minimum of critical or strategic materials and could not hire engineers or skilled technicians already employed by manufacturers with other government contracts. These restrictions led to the airplane's defining design characteristic: it would be built entirely of wood.
The Longest Wing Ever Built
Hughes built a special manufacturing facility in Culver City, California, to contract the huge flying boat. The H-4's wing, with a span of 97.5 meters (320 feet) and an area of 1,020 square meters (11,000 square feet), remains the longest ever built. |