C-47's in Antarctica

[Pat Carry]

The other day I watched a documentary from 1948 on TCM showing the Navy mounting an expedition to Antarctica. In it they showed C-47's taking off from the carrier the USS Philippine Sea. The planes landed on the ice and were then used for long range exploration. At the end of this show the C-47's were simply left there. What a waste I was thinking. I was wondering if they were still there?

[phil65]

At our local EAA chapter (27) this month, we had a guy who spent some time down there. He said they used an old C-47 with no wings, just to go from their huts to the waiting aircraft.

Phil

Last edited by phil65 on Sun Oct 22, 2017 12:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[jdvoss]

Pat,

I saw the same film the other day on TCM and quite good I must admit. All in color to boot! Actually I had the same thought as yourself. It's conceivable that the R4D's could have flown up to New Zealand...assuming fuel availability. I also noted the USN Noorduyn JA-1 Norseman that was taken along as deck cargo on one of the AKA's. What happened to it??

JVoss
www.fuselagecodes.com

[JohnB]

One book, Bower's US Naval Aircraft shows Norsemans getting loaded in 1946. It says three were sent down on '46...not '47.

Francillon in his Douglas book says six R4D-5Ls were taken to Antarctica in Jan 47, and 17 -5s, -6s and -8s were used in Operation Deep Freeze.
The first aircraft to land at the South Pole, a -5L, has been preserved (allegedly at the NASM...But I think it's at Pensacola)...so not all were left down there.

A bunch of aircraft have been abandoned there...IIRC a Staggerwing, and wrecked ships including a UK Otter and Max Conrad's Aztec and who knows what else.

One wonders if any rare warbird are there that could be used for parts?

[Stoney]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0bX93Snk0M

[ErrolC]

The RNZAF's DHC Beaver is on the Beardmore glacier. It is represented in the Air Force museum, and by a NZ Warbirds example.
https://flic.kr/p/fdosaP

[Craig59]

There are 3 Sikorsky HRS's down there:

BuNo 130162, 2/16/61
http://hrs-helicopter.com/images/130138-130172/BuNo130162demise.jpg

BuNo 144255, 12/18/63
http://hrs-helicopter.com/images/137836-144258/BuNo144255.3.jpg

BuNo 144257, 2/11/59
http://hrs-helicopter.com/images/137836-144258/BuNo144257.2.JPG

...and at least one HO4S:

BuNo 138580, 7/12/57

[JohnB]

Seeing the orange HRS reminds me of the Revell kit I had as a kid, an orange HO4S.

[jdvoss]

According to Joe Baugher's website the USN acquired FOUR Nooduyn Norsemen aircraft for Antarctic support. BuNos. 57992,57993,57994 and 57999. Apparently 57999 was the one used in 1946 for "Operation High Jump". This JA-1, one Sikorsky helicopter AND the six R4D's were abandoned on the Ross Ice shelf. In 1948 a portion of the ice shelf, containing these aircraft, broke away and floated off an were claimed by the sea.

So ends the question of the disposition of the aircraft.

JDVoss
www.fuselagecodes.com

[sandiego89]

....The first aircraft to land at the South Pole, a -5L, has been preserved (allegedly at the NASM...But I think it's at Pensacola)...

Que Sara Sara, the R4D-5L that first landed at the South Pol is indeed at Pensacola: http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attr ... ueserasera

There is a bit on confusion on this thread and sometimes the timeframes between High Jump and later Deep Freeze missions gets jumbled. Believe the original High Jump spanned the 1946-1947 "summer" in Antarctica.

There are also Constellations, C-130's (including one that was recovered decades later but another C-130 was lost in the recovery) and other aircraft that were abandoned on the ice after incidents/crashes.

[groggie]

This may not be what you're looking for, but I did find a DC-3 and what looks like an Twin Otter a little way NW of Ross Ice Shelf at -74.690623, 164.141913


https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ross+ ... 74.9999732

[Zac Yates]

A bunch of aircraft have been abandoned there...IIRC a Staggerwing

One wonders if any rare warbird are there that could be used for parts?

The Staggerwing is under restoration to fly in New Zealand: https://www.facebook.com/AntarcticBeechStaggerwing/, https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstow ... lory-video

[Invader26]

RAAF on behalf of ANARE operated C-47's/Austers/Beavers in Antartica early days. Not to mention Kingfisher and Walrus float planes.