#48: Howard Hughes Testing Out a Radio-Controlled Scale Model of “The Spruce Goose” in California, 1947

Rounding out our list, we see that an early model airplane was tested in California in 1947. This is Howard Hughes, an aerospace engineer, remotely flying a scale model of the Spruce Goose. If you use some forced perspective on the photo, you could even believe it’s real.

Nowadays, building a remote-controlled aircraft is no big deal. We have all kinds in all shapes and sizes, from much bigger to much smaller, and some with very advanced capabilities. Yet, like many of these photos, it’s interesting to look back and reflect on where it all started.