An early composite - The Spruce Goose

Diamond Aircraft built composite airplanes are undoubtly todays state of the art vehicles. The novel approach to airframes, powerplants changed the way pilots were thinking about airplanes (full metal, big bore avgas sipping beasts). The lightweight composite structures proved to be reliable, strong and have an undefinite lifetime (only time will prove how much they can take). But composite airframes aren't a new invention. Before fiber glass enforced composites there were wood based materials.

The monstuous Spruce Goose even got it's nickname from wood, although wrongly as birch was used as plywood for the composite.
In the 1940's the intensity of the Second World War demanded a large cargo aircraft that could safely ferry material between the American and European continent and avoid the U-boot patrols. A shipbuilding industrialis named Henry John Kaiser imagined a large shiplike airplane and presented his idea to Howard Hughes, who was not only the richest man but one of the most influential aviators in history, daredevil and visionary. Their project ended in becoming the H-4 Hercules (but nicknamed Spruce Goose), the largest airplane. The airplane still holds the title of having the largest wingspan (97.54 m/320 ft 11 in).

Inside the Goose

What makes the Spruce Goose interesting, besides it's sheer size is that it is made out of composite material. In the 1940's aluminum was strategical material and the quantites that would have been required for the production of only one H-4 for unavailable to Hughes. They were forced to experiment with new materials and ended up constructing the SpruceGoose employing the plywood-and-resin (birch ply) "Duramold" process – a form of composite technology – for the laminated wood construction. Duramold is a composite material process. Birch plies are impregnated with phenolic resin and laminated together in a mould under heat (138°C) and pressure for use as a lightweight structural material. Similar to plywood, Duramold and other lightweight composite materials were considered critical during periods of material shortage in World War II, replacing scarce materials like aluminum alloys and steel (source: Wikipedia).

A size comparison between four of the largest aircraft (source: Wikipedia)

Several problems delayed the project and the Hercules flew only once. The power of the 8 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, 3,000 hp (2,640 kW) each lifted the airplane some 70 feet in the air and the airplane flew around a mile in ground effect.
The airplane today is exhibited in McMinnville, Oregon.

Pannon Air Service
Diamond Aircraft Hungary