PREPARING THE PLANES, AT SPITZBERGEN, FOR THEIR ARCTIC FLIGHT
PREPARING THE PLANES, AT SPITZBERGEN, FOR THEIR ARCTIC FLIGHT
THE LAST VIEW OF SPITZBERGEN
THE LAST VIEW OF SPITZBERGEN
It was a disappointment that the ice stretched so far out. On the ships’ arrival it was so thick that none of them could break it. The next day, however, on account of the mild weather, the ice got so brittle that “Knut Skaaluren” (although with difficulty) managed to break up a channel for us all. As the “Skaaluren” had a good deal of cargo to discharge “Hobby” could not get to the quay for several days. It was a disappointment, but turned out to be a piece of good luck. I had thought about rigging up some booms (which we had on board) to the crane on the upper deck in order to discharge our large cases onto the quay. We had no time to wait until “Skaaluren” was finished, so we had to take our chance with “Hobby’s” own derricks and winches. The last were not specially suitable for lifting heavy pieces. They were electrical ones and could go full speed oneway or the other. This would mean stopping with a nasty wrench. In order to reduce this we rigged up some tackle instead of leaving the single wire.
EDGE OF THE POLAR PACK. THE EXPEDITION FLEW 100 MILES OVER THIS BEFORE REACHING SOLID ICE
EDGE OF THE POLAR PACK. THE EXPEDITION FLEW 100 MILES OVER THIS BEFORE REACHING SOLID ICE
When I said that the disappointment turned out to be a piece of good fortune, I meant that on account of these circumstances we saved a lot of time by using “Hobby’s” own gear and discharging right onto the ice without loss of time.
In order to reduce the weight of the bodies of the machines we first of all took off the packing.
As the forward derrick could not swing the boats’ bodies clear of the wing cases, which stretched over the railings, we had to take both boats’ bodies in the after derrick. N 25, which stood aft, was lifted first and swung out. It came nicely down onto the ice and N 24 followed.
The aft case with the wings was then turned so that it lay right across the railings. Both cases were put on end so that we could get at the hatches. The motor gondolas were then lifted up and put into their places.
In the meantime the “Fram’s” boys hacked a glide from the fjord ice to the land and the boats’ bodies were pulled along and taken straight to the place which had been chosen for their mounting.
Our assistance for the mounting of them could not have been better. On the one side a mechanicalworkshop and on the other a smithy, and a big room which was put at our disposal. Here we had benches with vices, etc.
For getting the wings ashore we had to get to the quay under all circumstances, but there was no hurry now, as we had plenty to do in getting the motors ready. It was not just the most comfortable temperature to work in. Now and again one could see war-dances being performed round the warming-pan.
In the meantime “Fram’s” boys cut the ice up round about the quay and kept the water channels open so that the ships could change places more easily.
Just when we had finished our work with the motors, “Skaaluren” left the quay and “Hobby” came into her place. The wing-cases were just lying at the same height as the quay, so that everything considered, it was easy work to get them ashore. Luckily we had no wind that day, so conditions permitted us to carry the cases on end, which was necessary on account of the space.
Under the guidance of Schulte-Frohlinde we started immediately to mount N 24, and soon it began to look more like a flying machine.
When taking N 24’s wings ashore, we had a good deal of wind. It was therefore not easy to get them ashore on end. After landing them we had to carry them in a horizontal position.
We could not wait for calm weather, as the meteorologists predicted a long period of fresh breezes. The bringing ashore of the machines was carried through without the slightest damage to the material, nor had any damage taken place during the long transport from Marina di Pisa to King’s Bay. All of us therefore had good reason to feel pleased that day.
Whilst Schulte-Frohlinde, Feucht and Zinsmayer completed the mounting, Green and Omdal continued their work with the motor and completed it by putting on the propellers.
After everything had been tried and tested and proved to be in splendid order, there arose the burning question, which had been in my mind for the last half year, namely, how would the machines run on the snow? Exactly in front of the mounting place were any number of suitable spots where we could make a trial on level snow, so I made the first test on May 9th. The boat, as was only natural, stuck fast at first, but got free quite easily with a strong pull. It was a delightful sensation to realize how easily it glided along. Had it sunk heavily down into the snow and stuck there, matters would have looked less bright for us.
Flying boats of this size had never been tried on snow before, but we built on our own belief in its being possible; had it not been so we should have been in an unpleasant position.
From the day we gathered all our material together, our program went according to date, and in the beginning of May we were all in readiness to set off in the second half of the month if conditions permitted.
That day was for me, therefore, agreatday in the expedition’s course, and every one will understand my feeling of joy when after testing the machine I was able to announce to Amundsen, “We are clear to start the moment our leader says the word!”