ANTARCTICA (the eagle & the turtle)

[weatherby]

Here is some interesting reading material,

http://www.joeld.net/snowcruiser/wings_feb_1980.htm

 

[pixie]

Cool looking machine ! The link said 'page not found' ?

 

[weatherby]

Cool looking machine ! The link said 'page not found' ?

Yea I know.....I don't know why, when I go directly to the site it works, but when I copy and pasted it here on the Forums it won't work

 

[pixie]

I Googled "snowcruiser" and got this

http://www.joeld.net/snowcruiser/snowcruiser.html

edit: 19 feet wide, built near Chicago in 1939 and DRIVEN to Boston !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pixie]

In some of the pictures, there is a plane on the roof. I'm trying to figure out how it got up there or took off :head-scratch-smilie:

 

[weatherby]

I Googled "snowcruiser" and got this

http://www.joeld.net/snowcruiser/snowcruiser.html

edit: 19 feet wide, built near Chicago in 1939 and DRIVEN to Boston !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Pixie...That link works

 

[weatherby]

In some of the pictures, there is a plane on the roof. I'm trying to figure out how it got up there or took off :head-scratch-smilie:

From what I read, they would push snow up to the aft end of the cruiser to form a ramp and push/winch it up on top.

 

[weatherby]

From what I read, they would push snow up to the aft end of the cruiser to form a ramp and push/winch it up on top.

That's ware the title the (the eagle & the turtle) comes from, the eagle being the plane and the turtle being the cruiser.

 

[sledhaus]

It didn't work very well because of the smooth tires. You would think that would have been a "no-brainer" but it should be noted that when Polaris first experimented with an all rubber track they tried "bologna skin" smooth conveyer belting and it of course didn't work either. Considering Skidoo had ribs molded into theirs for at least six years previous and of course the Russians had a one-piece molded rubber track with traction ribs on automobile conversions in 1911, the need for traction means would have been common knowledge. Regardless the Snow Cruiser was a failure and was abandoned in Antarctica where it still rests under the ice. In the 1950s an expedition located it and dug down to it. One of the guys who went inside brought home a stack of unused expedition covers (postal envelopes with official expedition markings) for a souvenier. Since deceased, his son was selling them on ebay a few years ago so I bought one. His dad may have been on the original expedition too because I think he sent me some photos from it that his dad had also. Strange concept. Almost looks like too many engineers were involved and no one with any common sense. No offense to you engineers out there. Remember the government was involved in this one.