A long distance aircraft of the 1920s

All-metal, high-wing monoplane

The freezing Arctic wind penetrated the unheated, corrugated metal craft taking off from Spitsbergen, Norway. Navigator Richard Byrd, an ambitious U.S. Navy Commander, and pilot Floyd Bennett struggled to keep warm in their furs. They made a long flight north that day, and on their return told the world that they reached the North Pole on May 9, 1926, a claim which many have questioned. Continue reading →