VAF Hat Sightings
 

Spruce Goose.

My lovely wife bought some VIP passes to the Evergreen Flight Museum at a silent auction and we used them while in McMinnnville, OR the day after Christmas.
This was my second trip but what a humbling experience to actually sit in Howard's seat.






The pilot's seat of the Spruce Goose.




An RV grin is better than a Hughes scowl.




Spruce Goose cockpit







Flight engineer's station






View of Spruce Goose cockpit from the ground. Notice the "Experimental" over the door.

(jaw on floor).

Thank you for doing that Mike. Way, way cool !!!

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Too Cool
 

How would you like to wire that FE panel :eek:

I wanna know how you're supposed to bring all 8 throttles forward together.

I would think you don't, the FE does. Just think about synchronizing all eight engines. Somewhere I read that each engine has five magnetos, I'm still trying to understand the starting procedure on those big radials.

What is really cool is they could walk/crawl down the wing and reach the back of the engine in flight to service it.

If any of you ever get the chance to tour this thing, do it! It is just awesome! (I saw it back in the 80's when it was in LA.)

I got to see the Spruce Goose up close when it was in Long Beach a few years ago. It is an amazing aircraft. The strangest thing to me was being able to walk around in the cockpit like it was a Greyhound bus. It is a must see if you are ever close by.

A few years ago? When I saw it in Long Beach I was in the Navy and we used sail power. ;) (kidding) I think it was moved in 1990.

Look at the rudder peddles, if I remember right this was the first hydraulically controlled rudder to fly. No wires. Pretty amazing for the day.

i really wanna see that bird in person!! what a monster it is!

thanks for the pics! :cool:

How Much is open to walk through?
 

Do they let you walk all around inside the Spruce Goose? Can you walk out to the engines in the wing?

Unfortunately no.

You get to go in behind/below the pilot comp, and that is it. There is a plexiglass wall separating you from the tailcone, but at least you can see back there. You also get to look up towards the cockpit via the ladder way.