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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0339.PDF
MAY 20, 1926 AMUNDSEN'S POLAR FLIGHT Airship " Norge's " Successful Journey over the North Pole As briefly reported in last week's issue of FLIGHT, Capt. Amundsen's Arctic expedition started from King's Bay, Spitzbergen, in the airship " Norge," at 10.10 a.m. on May 11. This week we have to record the news that the expedition has safely and successfully accomplished its mission, having flown over the Pole and across the remainder of the unknown Arctic regions to Alaska, a distance of some 3,000 miles, in 71 hours. At the moment full details of the flight have not yet come to hand, but from the reports so far available it would .seem that this second effort of Amundsen's has not been without its thrills. When the airship and its crew, with Sig. Nobile (its designer) at the helm, departed from King's Bay weather conditions were excellent, and with a light following wind good progress was made towards the Pole. They passed Danas Island just before noon, the " Norge's " speed up to then being in the neighbourhood of 70 m.p.h., and the temperature some 13° F. below freezing. As they progressed northward the weather continued bright, but the temperature was now some 18^ below freezing point, and the airship's speed was reduced to 60 m.p.h. At about 1 p.m., when some 600 miles from the Pole, seals were sighted on an ice-pack 1,800 ft. below, and a little later on some polar bears were spotted. No land was sighted, only ice, broken now and then by ice lanes. By 5 p.m. they were 350 miles from the Pole, and there was a mild wind from the south—speed still 60 m.p.h. and altitude about 2,000 ft. There was still no sign of land, but the ice was observed to be cracking. By 10 p.m. they were but 130 miles from the Pole, and were now feeling the cold (temperature, 22° below freezing point !). There was a slight head wind, which reduced the " Norge's " speed to 40 m.p.h., but the sun was still visible through light clouds and some fog was encountered. They were now flying at nearly 3,000 ft., and when about 60 miles from the Pole, at midnight, the fog increased and observations were difficult. During this time, it should be noted, the " Norge's " position was constantly checked by wireless. The Pole was reached at about 2 a.m., May 12, and the " Norge " descending to a few hundred feet of the ice, three flags—Norwegian, American and Italian—affixed to steel-pointed rods, were dropped respectively by Amundsen, Ellsworth and Nobile. As the flags fell, and eventually stuck in the ice, the crew stood with bared heads. At the conclusion of this remarkable ceremony, the " Norge " circled round the Pole and took the necessary observations, then the ship was headed for Point Barrow, and the second stage of the flight commenced. This latter stage, over some 2,000 miles of absolutely unknown regions, proved to be much more exciting than AMUNDSEN'S FLIGHT TO THE POLE.—Above we show, on the left, the Mooring Mast, speciallydesigned for the •• Norge " one being erected at Rome, and another at Oslo. On the right (top) the " Norge " is shown moored to the mast at Rome. Below is a photograph taken in the airship shed atRome on the occasion of Signor Mussolini's visit prior to the start of the Expedition. 293 D
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