Andy350 Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 This was something that was picked up a very long while ago, we only found when bringing down the Christmas decorations. No decals or instructions. Was going to bin, but I thought why not build. Very simple build. Had a big crack down the fuselage, but repaired that easily enough. Most of the parts were very bent, the plastic is very soft, so with the use of super glue and weights it looks straight enough now. I believe the colour was a white/grey, but I've seen a few completed in a light aluminium colour. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy350 Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 Might be a good idea to remove this? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 (edited) Very nice, don't see many of these getting built *Edit: just caught the autocorrect error* Edited December 9, 2019 by Adam Poultney 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whofan Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 6 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said: Very nice, don't see navy of these getting built There was one in the competition at Telford, but done up in the decals for the Iron Maiden 747 and called the Iron Goose! It looked very good, but then I’m an Iron Maiden fan, too. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 2 minutes ago, Whofan said: There was one in the competition at Telford, but done up in the decals for the Iron Maiden 747 and called the Iron Goose! It looked very good, but then I’m an Iron Maiden fan, too. That sounds like a great idea for a model, any photos of it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy350 Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 37 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said: Very nice, don't see navy of these getting built It was a massive feat of engineering, and really bonkers. The logistics of this aircraft were crazy. You really have to wonder where the Hughes Aircraft Company thought this would be used? I went to see this when it was in a hanger in San Diego, the wings are massive, but it's also the size of the fuselage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy350 Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 Looks like I will be gluing this to the stand, otherwise it would have required nose weights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 (edited) It was a beautiful machine and a credit to what could be achieved when focusing on primarily wooden construction, but i would have certainly had my concerns over long flights and a regular flight regime. There was so much subcontracting involved to get the components made, and most of the wooden sub-assemblies were made from companies that had come from previously making furniture. Unfortunately a Wingback chair and wing section experience quite different loads and conditions, and delamination of parts at 5000ft could be rather catastrophic! But the SIZE! - seeing this beauty is on my to-do list if i ever get round to visiting the states Working on this in the 40s must have been quite an experience! Far better to save it than bin it! Seeing as you found it at Christmas, whilst looking for Christmas decorations, you could always consider some kind of Festive theme......get some LEDs in there for a bit of glow! Santa had 8 reindeer....... and i believe i am seeing 8 engines........ coincidence? I think not Edited December 9, 2019 by Kushan_Farsight grammar and cool pic in construction 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy350 Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 3 minutes ago, Kushan_Farsight said: It was a beautiful machine and a credit to what could be achieved out of a wooden machine, but i would have certainly had my concerns over long flights and a regular flight regime. there was so much subcontracting involved to get the components made, and most of the wooden sub-assemblies were made from companies that had come from previously making furniture. Unfortunately a Wingback chair and wing section experience quite different loads and conditions, and delamination of parts at 5000ft could be rather catastrophic! Far better to save it than bin it! Seeing as you found it at Christmas, whilst looking for Christmas decorations, you could always consider some kind of Festive theme......get some LEDs in there for a bit of glow! Santa had 8 reindeer....... and i believe i am seeing 8 engines........ coincidence? I think not Great idea. I've closed it up now, bit of a shame!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whofan Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, Adam Poultney said: That sounds like a great idea for a model, any photos of it? Adam, I did take a photo of it, will post it later when I get home. Here's the photo I took; Edited December 9, 2019 by Whofan 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Can you tell me scale and kit manufacturer Andy? I don't think I have seen one of these before, I was only aware of the 1/200 Minicraft kit and the 1/72 Amodel? monster Oh, and nice start (or is it progress?) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy350 Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 30 minutes ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said: Can you tell me scale and kit manufacturer Andy? I don't think I have seen one of these before, I was only aware of the 1/200 Minicraft kit and the 1/72 Amodel? monster Oh, and nice start (or is it progress?) I'm not too sure, Here is a pic of the box, priced up for the USA market. This is 1/200, 48cm wide, nearly as wide as the 1/72 Nimrod. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Thanks Andy, being 1/200 it might be the same tooling as the Minicraft kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 I've got to believe it's the same molds as the still available Minicraft kit. Even in 1/200, the beast is huge... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 (edited) I have seen photos of a 1/200 boxing by Entex, who might have molded it originally, as well as one by Wrather Port Properties, Ltd, which looks like it is the Entex kit reboxed. Maybe the Minicraft release is also from the Entex molds? If turboprop engines had been advanced and reliable enough, they would have made the HK-1 a much more viable aircraft, but the tides of war and the lateness of its completion doomed it to be a one-off. Mike Edited December 10, 2019 by 72modeler corrected spelling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 19 hours ago, Andy350 said: I've seen a few completed in a light aluminium colour. I concur. My guess would have been Aluminum Dope for the original. What an engineering feat. I'm sure Hughes never intended for it to be more than a one-off example of craziness. Even then, metal aircraft were the thing to build regardless of size! Looking very good! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 On 12/9/2019 at 7:38 AM, Whofan said: Here's the photo I took; Howard Hughes is turning in his grave... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 So glad you decided to build it! What a beautiful beast! Cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy350 Posted December 10, 2019 Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 43 minutes ago, Moa said: Howard Hughes is turning in his grave... I was thinking the same. We need a billionaire to bring the goose back to life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 3 hours ago, Moa said: Howard Hughes is turning in his grave... I should think so too, everyone knows it should be adorned with Sex Pistols logos! Martian (Still a punk at heart) 👽 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 34 minutes ago, Martian Hale said: I should think so too, everyone knows it should be adorned with Sex Pistols logos! Martian (Still a punk at heart) Unbelievable, and then people ask why we pick on you. You defilers, defacers and defenestrators of pure beauty. And with those cacophonies, nonetheless. I run to soak my brain in Arvo Pärt and Erik Satie to forget what I have seen and read. 😫 Ts-ts-ts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzemeister Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Martian Hale said: I should think so too, everyone knows it should be adorned with Sex Pistols logos! Martian (Still a punk at heart) 👽 Oh, that IS a good idea! However, seeing as it's a flying BOAT, and was built in SoCal, methinks the Surf Punks are a better fit. And now I'm humming "Too Big......." which seems appropriate for such a monster plane! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzemeister Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Oh, and to get back on topic, I know a lot of the old Entex molds did eventually wind up with Minicraft. However, Minicraft did update many, and even re-did some. I have no idea if the current kit is actually from the same tool as this old gem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Scrapiron Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 You pondered the color... I photographed the Spruce Goose a couple years ago and hope these might be of some use in making a decision. - - - - interior... - staircase up to the command deck (sorry about reflections off of plexi shielding) Hope these help. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 On 12/10/2019 at 1:57 PM, 72modeler said: one by Wrather Port Properties, Ltd, which looks like it is the Entex kit reboxed. With that W. P. P. LTD under the wing, you may be on to something there. Hughes would only be turning over because everyone persists in calling it the Spruce Goose. By all accounts, he hated that nickname, given that it was coined as a pejorative. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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