SVALBARD: saving Nobile & Amundsen
1928: on the way back from the North Pole the airship “Italia” went missing NE of the Svalbard archipelago. It started the biggest SAR-operation so far:
Sketch of ships and planes involved (from this book ISBN-10 : 3442757827)
The bewilderung array of planes on-site can be mimicked by us with Fokker VII, Ju-F13, Jenny, Do-Wal, Ju-52, Moth, Bucker, even the Ryan.
I took the Savoia S.55, a real gem in the sim, somewhat overlooked.
A. The big planes came all the way up from the continent
The Latham started near LeHavre via Bergen to Tromsö, the Wal in Pisa, the S-55 via the Adria to Vadsö, the G24 from Stockholm via Lulea.
PION_nobile_italy_w.PLN (7.4 KB)
PION_nobile_italy_e.PLN (5.5 KB)
Modeled are the western and eastern route.
Then they had to try the first crossing ever to Svalbard, passing Bear Island:
PION_nobile_norw_sval.PLN (2.4 KB)
B. the small planes were operating on-site via ships from water and ice (floaters could tackle both)
Besides looking for survivors all were interacting with ground forces/structures: dog-sled patrols, weather stations, hunter cabins, castaway depots, see PLNs:
PION_nobile_sval_N.PLN (4.3 KB)
PION_nobile_sval_S.PLN (3.2 KB)
Planes ventured way out onto the ice (where is it?) and Franz-Josef-Land:
PION_nobile_fr_josef.PLN (2.5 KB)
Bing raw data are a bit washed-out (luckily there is a free 25m-DEM), but the area is still the best arctic region for the time being.
Don’t forget the bad weather here - sudden fog, storms, low clouds - for a challenge set it up accordingly. The real pilots actions and stories are beyond belief…