The Hughes
Flying Boat
went into hibernation after its famous flight. Stored away in
its special hangar, it was out of the public eye for thirty three years.
All the time, Howard Hughes kept the plane in immaculate shape
and ready to fly. It was rumoured that it cost Hughes $US1 million
per year to preserve the aircraft.
After Hughes' death in 1976, it appeared that the Hughes Flying Boat was to be disassembled. The giant plane was saved by entrepreneur Jack Wrather, who moved it into a massive domed hangar next to the famous ocean liner, the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. Beginning in 1983, the plane was put on public display. In 1988, the Wrather Corporation was bought by The Walt Disney Company. Disney didn't see the plane in its future plans, so the search was on to find a new home for the aircraft.
Captain Michael King Smith, the Evergreen Aviation Museum's founder and son
of Evergreen founder Delford M. Smith, submitted the winning
proposal to provide the aviation icon with a proper home.
In 1992, the Hughes
Flying Boat
was disassembled and transported by barge up the West Coast,
then down the Columbia and Willamette Rivers to Portland, Oregon.
It remained in the Portland area for several months, until
the Willamette River's water levels permitted the huge structures
to safely pass under the river's many bridges.
In February 1993, the huge parts of the aircraft were transported
by truck for the last 7.5 miles to McMinnville, Oregon.
Temporary hangars were built as housing for the aircraft,
and volunteers began work on the aircraft's exterior restoration.
In 2001, assembly of the Hughes
Flying Boat
was completed in its new Museum home.