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Thursday, April 26, 2012

W - Wingspan

I don't know why wingspan fascinates me..perhaps because it seems to represent freedom.



For a plane the wingspan is measured as such...
The Boeing 777 has a wingspan of 197 feet  so can you imagine a plane with a wingspan of 320 feet and 11 inches (longer than a football field)!







Meet the Spruce Goose

The largest airplane ever constructed, over five stories high and flown only one time. Designed and flown by Howard Hughes, who accepted the  challenge from the Government when in 1942, Germans submarines were sinking hundreds of Allied ships. Making the task even greater was the restrictions on materials such as steel and aluminum, so this giant is made entirely of wood.
This is a scene from the Aviator and I have an idea it is probably just like it happened.

I had the opportunity to see the Spruce Goose when it was housed next to the Queen Mary in Calif. I thought this picture of them putting it in the building gave a great perspective of the size.


It really is hard to imagine how big this thing is but here is a picture of them working on just one wing...

The Spruce Goose is now located in McMinnville, Or.

 

7 comments:

Inger said...

It is an amazing sight that plane. I too love to see a large bird spread its wings.

Dana said...

That's amazing! I guess I've never stopped to think just how long those wings are.

Granny Annie said...

If there is a prize for the most research done in the A-Z Challenge, I believe you would win it. You take all our challenges so seriously don't you. Love, love,love it.

Bev said...

Amazing... ( I hate flying...soo I find it hard to imagine any plane staying in the air...LOL)

TexWisGirl said...

aviation is fascinating - whether nature's or manmade. :)

Chatty Crone said...

And what is the wing spand of open arms? sandie

Tracy said...

hah, I lik you 'w' word as well as your 'v' word for vestibule...nothing like a long vestibule draped in flowers...anyway, I was just reading a word problem in math that asked about wingspan so I was explaning this conept to my kids...