Hughes H-4 Hercules AKA Spruce Goose

[Carman1000]

With the announcement of the Spruce Goose coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS 2020) in November,
I was wondering if it would be purchasable on FSA in a similar Fashion to the AN225.
i.e. only one per airline seeing as only one was built and flown.

I don't see it in the FSA aircraft database, so it may also have to have an entry made.
(I can have a crack at it if need be.)
I didn't want to just go ahead and attempt to add it because as stated above I believe, like the AN225, only one was built so special things need to be taken into consideration.
It may also be denied by admins for other reasons without discussion from the community.
Now before this just gets shot down by an admin as a 'no, you cant have it because it only flew once' or whatever, I would like to see the opinions of anyone else interested in the community.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYQCeJ6lZVc

[joefremont]

Unfortunately no. The H4 never entered service, it never even had an official first flight. I really don't see a plausible excuse we could come up with to add it since we have been pretty strict up to now about now allowing airlines to use aircraft that have not been delivered to customers.

We are not going to add the Halo Pelican either.

Moving the topic as its more an FSA question than an airline question.

[joefremont]

We could add it as a 'prototype' aircraft where it would be available for you to 'rent' as a personal aircraft, but it would never be available for purchase or any use by airlines.

[Carman1000]

We could add it as a 'prototype' aircraft where it would be available for you to 'rent' as a personal aircraft, but it would never be available for purchase or any use by airlines.

I would be happy with that, as long as I can track it on FSA.
I feel tracking flights gives my flights in the simulator more purpose.

[joefremont]

I did a quick search for stats for it but could not find complete data, which makes sense since it was never really finished. Maybe once it is released we can get some better numbers.

[CRGaming]

With the upcoming Spruce Goose in MSFS can it be added to FSA?

[joefremont]

The Hughes H-4 Hercules (commonly known as the Spruce Goose) never entered service, it never even finished flight testing so your airline is not going to be able to use it, nor are you going to be able to use it as personal aircraft. At best we may add it as a 'prototype' that will allow you to rent it for personal use but not more than that.

This is a duplicate of this post from a few months ago.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10115

[joefremont]

I just merged these two identical topics together.

I finally found a site that had some data and added the H4 as a prototype aircraft.

I wonder how many times we are going to be asked for us to allow it to be purchased by there airline.

[Carman1000]

Just to be clear, I can rent this as a personal aircraft,
but I cannot rent it with the airline I'm in?

[Carman1000]

Also, this is definitely 0 passengers, mhmm, yep yep


lol

[joefremont]

Just to be clear, I can rent this as a personal aircraft,
but I cannot rent it with the airline I'm in?

Yes that is true

[joefremont]

Also, this is definitely 0 passengers, mhmm, yep yep


lol

How many passengers does her FAA type certificate allow? Also remember that troops are not civilian passengers

[Carman1000]

How many passengers does her FAA type certificate allow? Also remember that troops are not civilian passengers

I understand the FAA rating, but i thought the database was a representation of the aircraft's statistics not the law.
Also, those seats were for the press group that went with her on her test runs, so they were indeed civilian passengers,
and surely someone would have had to approve the safety standards to allow the press group on board in the first place?

[joefremont]

Things were a little more lax then and if you remember they were not planning on taking off that day and many have speculated that the reason Hughes only made that short hop and not a longer flight was because the press was on board.

The H-4 was being built as military transport, not a civilian passenger aircraft, note the lack of any insulation around those seats. Troops will go where they are ordered, civilian passengers need a certain standard of comfort before they will get on as paying customers.

Could a civilian version have been developed? Sure its possible, I think the best comparison would be the C-97, a cargo version of the B-29 which is in the database but with zero passengers although it could hold 134 troops, its civilian version the Boeing 377 is also in the database and we have it set to be able to carry 100 passengers. There was some discussions about making a civilian passenger version of the C-5 but it never went anywere.

its a bit of a moot point as since the H-4 was really an experimental aircraft it was not supposed to carry passengers and we will NEVER allow it to be use by airlines on this platform.

I am regretting adding to the db now, along with the V-22 which is a military only aircraft recently added for the same reason, so pilots can rent it for personal use and record there hours, but the calls for airlines wanting to use them is a getting on my nerves.