A Moose of a Goose

The world's largest wooden airplane, the Spruce Goose, resides in li'l ole McMinnville, Oregon. The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum was the vision of Capt. Michael King Smith, an award-winning pilot and a remarkable young man. The Spruce Goose was designed during World War II to transport troops and cargo across the Atlantic. Because materials like steel and aluminum were critical to the war effort, the "flying boat" was made of laminated wood. The plane took so long to design and build that the war had already ended. The only time it ever flew, it was piloted by Howard Hughes on a test flight and was airborne for just one minute! It was built, housed, and displayed by different groups (including Disney Corp.) in the Long Beach, California, area until 1990 when custody was awarded to Evergreen. Although the restoration and current facility were not complete by 1993 when Capt. Michael King Smith died in an auto accident at age 29, his family and Evergreen Aviation continued to support the project until the vision became reality.