By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no One of the most important airliners from the twenties and thirties of the previous century was the all-metal Junkers J 13. The aircraft has had several designations: Until July 1919 Junkers J 13 (in line with previous models) July 1919 – June 1924 Junkers J 13 Type F (Freya) Since July 1924 Junkers F 13 The suffixes were not introduced until June 1927. The type is, however, generally known as the Junkers F 13 and this is how we will call it as well. The type saw only limited service in Norway. It successor the Junkers...
An Englishman’s dream:
The North Sea Air Mail Express Newcastle – Stavanger By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no It has taken many years and numerous attempts to realise the opening of an air service between Norway and the United Kingdom. Both Norwegians and Englishmen have throughout the twenties and thirties of the last Century tried, but it was an Englishmen pursuing his dream that would follow in the footsteps of the Norwegian aviator Tryggve Gran and inaugurate an air service across the North Sea. The first attempts from the Norwegian side At the formation of Det Norske Luftfartrederi AS – DNL in 1918, the...
Handley Page O/400, G-EAKE in Norway
By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no In this article we highlight the history of the Handley Page O/400, G-EAKE. It was one of many Handley Page O/400s that spread its wings across Europe in order to establish political influence in the aviation of neutral states. The particular aircraft was involved in the race for the first flight between Kristiania (Oslo) and Stockholm. It was important for the young nation (as Norway was) to show its flag abroad. What an aircraft! The aircraft I talk about here was the Handley Page O/400. What an aircraft! Personally, I regard this huge twin-engined biplane...
By Whale to Oslo
By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no On July 18, 2002 Lufthansa could celebrate the opening for 75 years ago of its air service to Oslo. From 1927 to 1933 the air service was operated by aircraft of the type Dornier Wal and Superwal. These aircraft were in Norway known as the “Aerobus to the Continent”. Many German (military) pilots gathered valuable flying experiences on this air service. Trying to get a connection One of the pioneers of Norwegian aviation was Captain Wilhelm Meisterlin. He was born in Trondheim, well 500 km north of Oslo, and carried the English rang of Captain...
The “Junkers Spitzbergen Expedition” (1923)
By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no In 1923 Roald Amundsen attempted to fly from Wainwright, Alaska (USA) across the North Pole to the islands of Spitsbergen. Amundsen’s friend Consul Haakon Hammar and Junkers propaganda director Friedrich Andreas Fischer von Poturzyn organised a relief party to help in case Amundsen’s aircraft would not complete the flight. But Roald Amundsen had to cancel the flight due to problems with the Junkers JL-6. Roald Amundsens failed polar flight In the USA the Junkers Larsen JL-6 had proven itself on numerous long distance flights, among them one in October 1920 from New York to Los...
In the air with Roald Amundsen
By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no In the article “In the air with Roald Amundsen” we would like to introduce the readers to the kites, aircraft and airships the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen used for his expeditions during the first thirty years of the last century. Roald Amundsen purchased a number of aircraft and flying boats, but was also successful with a rigid airship of an Italian manufacturer. Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) The first aviation event in Norway was the landing of a French air balloon in 1870. The Frenchmen Paul Rolier and Leon Bézier took off from the besieged city...
LFG V 13 and V 130 Strela in Norway
By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no During the Twenties and Thirties of the last century Norwegian pilots imported numerous German and later English aircraft. Among one of the most popular aircraft were the seaplanes from the German aircraft factory Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung – LFG from Stralsund-Seddin. Especially the V 13/V 130 turned out to be a popular aircraft in Norway and here we are looking a little bit closer to the aircraft used. Luft-Fahrzeug Gesellschaft mbH On 30 April 1908 the LFG-company was founded with the help of the Motorluftschiff-Studiengesellschaft, Berlin (the Motorized Air Ship Study company). Co-owner was the...
The history of a Norwegian Sikorsky S.43
By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no In May 2010, Rob J M Mulder published a book about this amphibian. The below mentioned article is just a fraction from the material he has gathered. The book is available through the webshop for jst NOK 150 / Euro 19 + postage. Norwegian text, but insert with English text offered free of charge. In the French magazine “Fana de l’Aviation” No. 204 Bernard Millot wrote about the Sikorsky S.43: “Le plus bel hydravion du monde en 1935” – the most beautiful seaplane of the world in 1935. And right he was. The S-43 was...
The first airlines in Norway (1912-1920)
By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no In another article on this website we have describe one of the most active airline companies of Norway: A/S Aero. But the first airline company registered in Norway was A/S Norsk Flyveselskap of 1912. It was after the Great War joined by Det Norske Luftfartsrederi A/S – DNL. This company was formed as early as March 1918 with a huge stock capital of 3.3 million Norwegian Kroner. It wanted to be the national airline company of Norway, but failed due to Government support and a weak Norwegian post-War economy. In addition there were some other...
Thor Solberg and his expeditions
By: Rob Mulder For: www.europeanairlines.no After a successful flying career in the United States of America, Thor Solberg had only one dream left: Flying from the USA to Norway in the footsteps of the Norwegian Viking explorer “Leiv Eiriksson”. He made a first attempt in 1932 but had to abort it and he had to wait until 1935 before he could resume his flight. Upon arrival in Norway he formed an airline company and started with taxi- joy ride and charter flights. At the beginning of the Second World War he stored his aircraft and resumed business as soon as...