Not only does the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Ore., have Howard Hughes’ HK-1 Flying Boat in its collection, it now has the model that was used in the making of “The Aviator,” the blockbuster biopic based on Hughes’ life.
Initial Entertainment Group of Los Angeles recently donated several models to the museum, as well as some miniature sets and cockpit mockups used in the making of the movie.
As this issue was going to press, museum officials were preparing the model aircraft for display, including two biplanes used in the “Hells Angels” filming sequence, the Howard Hughes’ XF-11 plane used prior to the Beverly Hills crash sequence, and a motion-controlled “Spruce Goose” for display.
The miniature airplanes have wingspans ranging from 6 feet to 25 feet.
The movie sets donated to the museum include the detailed HK-1 flight deck, the Sikorsky cockpit and cabin, the “Hell’s Angels” camera plane cockpit and the XF-11 reconnaissance aircraft cockpit.
These will be ready for public viewing in a few months.
The museum also plans to display a miniature set that illustrates the giant flying boat under construction in the Cargo Building at the Hughes Aircraft Plant in Culver City, Calif.