LTA Italy

Umberto Nobile and the Italian N-1 Airship
http://www.fathom.com/feature/121852

Oral interview with Nobile in RealAudio format !!!

Also has a short video clip of the LZ127 landing !!!

"The Reminiscences of Umberto Nobile," in the collection of the Columbia Oral History Research Office (64 leaves). Interview by Kenneth Leish, 1960. Copyright 2001 by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.

If you want serious material about Italian airships you should contact:

Centro Documentazione Umberto Nobile
Museo Storico-Aeronautica Militaire
00062 Vigna di Valle, Roma
Italy

1925: The American, Lincoln Ellsworth, had financed and taken part in the seaplane expedition together with Amundsen.

1926: The following year Roald Amundsen, together with Ellsworth and the Italian Umberto Nobile, led an expedition in the Italian-built airship NORGE (Norway) from Svalbard over the North Pole to Alaska. The explorers passed over hitherto unknown territory, filling in the last blank, white patch on the map of the world. "Norge" was almost completely dismembered after being deflated on landing at Teller, Alaska in May 1926.

1928: Two years later, Nobile embarked on a second arctic flight aboard the Italian-sponsored ITALIA -- sister ship to the NORGE. Disaster overtook the expedition. Crew survived over a month on ice in a "Red Tent". They were eventualy rescued by an international effort. But one search party with Amundsen and his companions never returned. Earns the wrath of Mussolini.

1937: For awhile, taught aeronautical engineering in Chicago.

1943: Declared an "enemy alien" and deported to Italy .

1974: Dies, in Italy.