burg ▁had ▁a ▁volume ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁a ▁length ▁of ▁. ▁Its ▁maximum ▁payload , ▁of ▁combined ▁passengers ▁and ▁fre ight , ▁was ▁. ▁Following ▁the ▁H inden burg ' s ▁dis astr ous ▁end , ▁no ▁air ships ▁of ▁this ▁scale ▁have ▁since ▁been ▁built . ▁ ▁By ▁then , ▁larger ▁aer op lan es — es pecially ▁long - distance ▁flying ▁boats — had ▁exceed ed ▁the ▁I ly a ▁Mur om ets ▁in ▁scale . ▁Then , ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁America ▁for es aw ▁a ▁requirement ▁for ▁a ▁large ▁trans - P ac ific ▁cargo ▁car rier ▁able ▁to ▁operate ▁from ▁bases ▁with ▁no ▁prepared ▁landing ▁strip . ▁The ▁giant ▁Hugh es ▁H - 4 ▁Her cules ▁flying ▁boat ▁was ▁constructed ▁from ▁tim ber , ▁ear ning ▁it ▁the ▁name ▁the ▁" S pr uce ▁Go ose ". ▁When ▁finally ▁flow n ▁briefly ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁its ▁ ▁wings pan ▁made ▁it ▁the ▁largest ▁plane ▁ever ▁to ▁fly , ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁equ alled . ▁It ▁required ▁ 8 ▁Pr att ▁& ▁Whit ney ▁R - 4 3 6 0 ▁W asp ▁Major ▁radial ▁engines ▁to ▁get ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁air . ▁By ▁then , ▁the ▁land plane ▁had ▁taken ▁over ▁long - distance ▁flight ▁and ▁the ▁H - 4 ▁- ▁having ▁made ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁single ▁mile - long ▁flight ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 0 0   ft ▁off ▁the ▁water ▁- ▁never ▁fle w ▁again . ▁It ▁is ▁today