TRANS-POLAR FLIGHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19069, 15 January 1924, Page 8

TRANS-POLAR FLIGHT

CAPTAIN AMUNDSEN’S PLANS ELABORATE ARRANGEMENTS MADE. Praia Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, January 10. The Morning Post’s Berlin - correspondent states : “Captain Amundsen has arrived here after an absence of ten years in order to complete the arrangements for his flight to the North Pole. The attempt will be made with two single-decker machines, capable of flying, sailing, or skimming over the ice. The machines will be propelled bv Rolls-Royce motors of 400 h.p. “Captain Amundsen estimates that the journey from Spitzbergen to the Pole will occupy -26 hours. Whether a landing will be made will depend on the conditions. He intends to limit the personnel to the fewest number possible in view of the risk, but he will cany the maximum amount of petrol and repairing equipment. “Simultaneously with his departure from Spitzbergen, American vessels will leave Alaska, sailing in the direction from which Captain Amundsen expects to arrive.”—A and N.Z. Cable. Captain Amundsen made an attempt to dy across the Pole' from Spitzbergen to Alaska last year, but the enterprise was abandoned in June. It was reported some little time ago that he had concluded arrangements to renew the attempt between May and August, of the present year. Details of his plans which were recently published showed that he was negotiating with a German company with regard to the delivery of machines for the flight. It was understood that Captain Amundsen intended to use three metal-built aeroplanes, each of 160 horsepower, and that the actual flying portion of the expedition would be carried out by a personnel of 10. Each aeroplane was to carry a nilot and an observer, and arrangements were being made for the faking of a continuous film of the flight. It was considered probable that one of the members of the expedition would be an American airman. While in the air magnetic observations were to be. corrected by the use of sund'als. Captain Amundsen hoped to reach Ihe Pole during the first depotlaying flight from Spitzbergen. At the present time the United States . War Department is also arranging a flight across the Pole by means of aeroplanes.