Where is the Antarctic Snow Cruiser now? (Q&A)

Where is the Antarctic Snow Cruiser now? What happened to the plane? Why those weird tyres? I thought I'd follow up on one of my most popular videos and answer some of the most common questions about the Antarctic Snow Cruiser!
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Check out the Antarctic Beech Staggerwing project! AntarcticBeechStaggerwing/
0:00 - Introduction
2:20 - A Note of Postcards
3:48 - Why wheels and Why Treadless Tyres?
14:04 - What happened to the Snow Cruiser's Plane?
19:43 - Where is the Snow Cruiser Now?
25:04 - Thoughts On Other Videos & Articles?
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Instagram................► / calumraasay
Website....................►calumgillies.com
Questions or queries to:
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[@Bacony_Cakes]

can't wait in like 10 years time when the snow cruiser just appears on the chilean coast

[@CalumRaasay]

I'd need to get over there and review before Doug DeMuro

[@justsomeguywithtattoos6267]

Probably in Argentina, like others from that post world War era

[@abnormallylargemonkey9334]

@@CalumRaasay you better not forgor 💀

[@Trash-Castle]

@@CalumRaasay😅

[@billstrasburg384]

Maybe the Nazis stole it, modified it to actually work, and are using it on their base. Haha

[@benracer]

When I saw mustard do a vid on it, I instantly remembered learning about it from you first.

[@CalumRaasay]

Yeah since that video went up I've been seeing a lot of the same discussion on the cruiser so I thought I'd try to answer a few of the most common comments that I see!

[@benracer]

@@CalumRaasay honestly I am glad you put it in my mind and hope more info can be found A question I have though is, is the couple planning on making the plane look like its snow exploration self or would that be too out of season for a place like theirs?

[@ronankennedy6952]

I find it so strangely haunting thinking about that thing at the bottom of the freezing, black ocean. I'd imagine the temperature would keep it relatively well preserved. What a crazy discovery it would be if they found it again. Also, love the content - keep it up!

[@JayEllis76]

Either that, or crushed by the Arctic Ice

[@H3110NU]

I literally just went down a deep dive wiki hole about this thing last week. I still think it’s incredible that they built this hot mess in just 11 weeks. I’ve seen my fair share of SEMA cars get pushed in cuz they couldn’t finish it in 6 months.

[@mrpoool1015]

A fully funded expedition in search of this vehicle would be an incredible Interesting project.

[@CalumRaasay]

The dream!

[@mrpoool1015]

@@CalumRaasay Your video has Inspired me to start a project on building a motorized model of the snow cruiser out of Lego. Right now I am trying to figure out the right scale to make all of the functions work while retaining interior space for minifigures. Working off of original blueprints.

[@gingerlyglasses444]

@@mrpoool1015 that's awsome

[@paveloleynikov4715]

Big difference with Kharkovchanka is while they got similar time frame for building, one is builded from ground up and other has to adapt proven design. And also, Kharkovchanka wasn't trully autonomous-they had limited, but vital logistic supply by air. For their threads' load and outside conditions, it needed constant maintenance.

[@grahamo8062]

I wonder how the snow cruiser would have gone if they had managed to get it away from the heavy and relatively warm snow of the coast and into the Antarctic interior.

[@K1lostream]

It depends what you mean. If you mean just hypothetically plonking it down in the Antarctic interior, then it would have got stuck there too. If you mean had they managed to drive It into the Antarctic interior, how would it have got on, then you're hypothesising a different design that was absent the flaws that caused it to immediately get stuck (i.e. Weighing too much in relation to tyre contact area and resulting point-load put on the snow overcoming friction and allowing wheel-slip) in which case it might have been okay. I guess,, since you're alluding to the possibility that the problem was not in the design, but the fault of 'the wrong type of snow' that you're an employee of Network Rail?!

[@grahamo8062]

@@K1lostream I have no idea who Network Rail is, are you assuming my nationality? I've spent a lot of time in Antarctica and I can tell you there's a huge difference in the amount and consistency of the snow near the coast and the snow on the ice cap. Would it have worked? Don't know, hence my comment.

[@K1lostream]

Graham O The report said it might have gotten 'a little further' if it had been built to aircraft specifications rather than railcar ones. It also said it was too heavy by a factor of three to five for the tyres available. Whilst I am aware that snow can have consistencies varying from powder to polystyrene, being overweight by such a non-trivial factor would make that something of an irrelevance. Perhaps if the performance had been marginal, but it was not even close to being a viable design. The Network Rail comment was rather UK-centric, I'm afraid. They are the UK rail operator and one of the things Brits love to do is ridicule their excuses for being unable to keep trains running - in winter their go-to trope is to blame 'the wrong type of snow' hoping we won't realise Canada, for example, routinely keep their track operable in conditions far worse than anything the UK experiences, including on occasion, the worst possible consistency of snow. (In spring it is flooding, in summer it is the heat and in autumn it is leaves on the line, so they have excuses to cover the whole year for why the service is consistently shit).

[@Leatherface123.]

Or if they took Firestone tires to it from an overland train

[@BrunnerFoundry]

Nice job on these documentaries! I've been fascinated by the Snow Cruiser since reading about it in old car magazines in the 1980s, and because of that I've been fascinated by all things Antarctica. Especially land transportation there. It's interesting that while it was a failure in the 1930s, the Snow Cruiser has helped keep discussions and research about that continent going for decades!

[@GhostOfSnuffles]

It's so awesome the airplane meant for the cruiser survived and is still around is kind of heart warming. When it was seized for wartime use i almost thought it was going to be the end of it.

[@mattwilliams3456]

I wonder if the depth of the water and mass of the vehicle would allow it to be detected by a Magnetic Anomaly Detector from a sub hunting aircraft? Edit: it’s a long shot but a magnetic survey was undertaken by the USGS. I’m not sure if the instrumentation was sensitive enough for something like the snowcruiser to show up if someone went over the data with a fine toothed comb.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Seeing a plane being dragged around by Husky's is such a surreal thing to see

[@CalumRaasay]

Amazing isn't it!

[@scottculver]

@@CalumRaasay surreal, amazing, bizarre

[@Waldherz]

Thanks for this follow-up. Definitely one of the most interesting vehicles. Somewhat like a deep space spaceship...well, without space, but still. I aboslutely love this topic. And so far your video/s on this topic seem to be the best ones in production quality, detail and personality ^^

[@slade9372]

Thanks for the follow-up and for introducing us to such a fascinating piece of history!

[@NICKGAR7]

Thanks for the update Callum. Very interesting and well presented. Just picked myself up a FDC like yours

[@RomboutVersluijs]

Its pretty interesting to see that you and other creators have basically shown millions of people this long forgotten piece of hardware. Thats just insane! Many thanks again for such informative video!

[@tangyorange6509]

I am utterly intrigued about this vehicle and mission. I watched your video and another one that came out very close to each other

[@astro-blaster4190]

Thanks for revisiting this. Fascinating stuff. Great great great presentation!!

[@piperpa4272]

Thank you very much for the follow up video. I always enjoy your content.

[@gafrers]

Wonderful addition to that video and general Q&A.

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you! Much appreciated!

[@darthprime4916]

Love the work and research you did. Excellent video.

[@jeffbrooke4892]

Fantastic follow up. Keep up the great work!

[@888johnmac]

ok i admit it .. the Snow Cruiser was the first video of Calums i saw .. but then i subscribed & have watched everything he's made .. & they have all been interesting

[@Aengus42]

Nice one Calum! Cool follow up. So good to see the Staggerwing made it through the years. Although it definitely had it's ups & downs! (Did you see what I did there? 😆) Cheers! 🥃

[@calvinbass1839]

I first saw reference to this years ago in a Clive Cussler novel. Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed day.

[@archibaldhaddock3970]

Yet another informative, interesting, and well researched video. Thank you!

[@CalumRaasay]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@karymay3191]

Wow how convenient i just watched the first video and now this video dropped, awesome!

[@eddjordan2399]

All is answered in the first 6 mins of this video. 11weeks to build it! Madness

[@fuflang]

That's so awesome that the snow cruiser might be along the edge of the Ross ice shelf. I'll never forget sailing along side it and seeing it stretch to the horizon in both directions. So lucky to have been able to visit Antarctica, was my #1 dream when I joined the U.S. Coast Guard.

[@kalua_don]

heya buddy, love your content... Keep up the good work

[@CalumRaasay]

Thanks!

[@ABrit-bt6ce]

New Calum, let's get into there.

[@Shady-Shane]

'at the mountains of madness' always springs to mind.

[@Mooza1]

Enjoyed the video heaps mate. Maybe we need some more details on local whisky next...

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha well I've been in the whisky industry for a long time now, happy to talk about it!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video...👍

[@keithmerritt2897]

Had a pinto with a 351 cj c6 auto very out of control. Loved it.

[@QuixEnd]

That snow cruiser really reminds me of a huge aircraft tow vehicle. One of those big ones that have tank controls and crab crawling, beefy tires with no suspension or anything mechanically fancy. It both looks and essentially works the same way. They had very good reason to think it would work, considering that basic design could do so much more on every other surface and it's so mechanically easy to fix compared to something brand new, sorta why military uses that design to this day.

[@martin000ec]

Great videos, I'm really enjoying them. I worked for a company called FMC in the 70's. One product they made was something similar to the snow cruiser and I only saw a photo and description. It looked about the same size as the snow cruiser and I only remember a couple things about it. It had giant wheels perhaps 6-10 feet in diameter but they were very low pressure 3-5 psi and they were designed for minimal damage to permafrost or the tundra. Part of the advertisement showed the giant vehicle rolling over a human being without injury. I remember seeing the photo. I've googled all over and can't find anything on this vehicle. Part of FMC was a division called ESD that eventually became an independent separate company. ESD was know for building one of a kind strange machines, such as the first automated postal sorter, a pepper picker, an automated system for assembling the 3 1/2 inch floppy disk, automated warehouses, coal mining machines and underwater living units. I worked on some very unusual coal mining machines which were called mobile roof supports.

[@CalumRaasay]

Are you talking about the Rolligon perhaps?

[@martin000ec]

@@CalumRaasay I think that's closer but not quite. I jogged my memory and I think this vehicle was used in the Alaska Pipe Line construction as like a hauler of equipment, even pipe segments. It was massive about the size of the snow cruiser.

[@johnniecameron8829]

Weight. ,we use go drive a geo metro in snow and on the jeep trails ..it worked really well

[@billstrasburg384]

I have been to McMurdo and had access to one of the National Science Foundation Ford vans with a 4X4 conversion and 44" tires (if I remember that correctly). The REALLY cool ones did in fact have four individual track assemblies, but the one I had could power itself around pretty well. You only really need to drive around on the hard-packed snow roads or the lava rock roads anyway, though, in the typical work on or around McMurdo Base. The snow cruiser was clearly underpowered and unsafe and completely unacceptable for going too far away from the base. The huge wheeled personnel carriers like "Ivan the Terrabus" usually work, but when snow drifts cover the roads, it needs to be parked on a huge metal chain link assembly and pulled by a huge Caterpillar loader. They call this "The Magic Carpet Ride". The McMurdo scientists havea sense of humor for everything. I have a picture of a pallet crate with professional-looking spray-painted stenciling that says "Fork Other Side"....when you walk around to the other side of the crate, the same stenciling now reads: "Spoon Other Side". The dorky scientists there are hilarious.

[@staggsc17b]

Calum I replied to your FB Message regarding our Staggerwing restoration project.

[@Adam-zf3bv]

12:31 - a thing that came to mind is motorsports, with rally racing on snow a larger wider wheel and tire doesn't do you any justice, you want narrow and studded so this appears to be a case of not being able to test ideas

[@Daermos]

I wonder if someone found a way to move it and use it for housing or shelter of some sort

[@olmalone]

You made mention of the ice breaker Edisto as an army vessel. Ouch. It was U S Navy, then U S Coast Guard. This comment from a coastie. You present very good, informative vids on some now obscure bits of history. I look forward to showing these to a neighbor who worked Antarctica stations for Navy. The push to deploy the snow cruiser was a great, much publicized hurry-up-and-fail. Snow junket.

[@michaelwebber4033]

I really hope they didn't abandon the Beech Staggerwing. That thing is super cool. I'm hoping one day I'll get to fly one

[@CalumRaasay]

No I mention in the video, it’s being restored!

[@michaelwebber4033]

@@CalumRaasay yep I know that I think it’s super cool it’s being restored here in NZ too. Hopefully one day I might get the chance to actually fly it

[@TwoAwfulGuys]

Port Ruighe is legit as hell, nice

[@Pawele_stary_dziad]

Good video:) Cheers mate:)

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you!

[@robsmithracing]

Ah my question answered as promised 😁

[@matthewdavies2057]

Since the SC was built like a boat to keep the cold out if the tires were fully inflated would it float? I suspect it would. In that case it may not be on the bottom.

[@MrGozer23]

Because of how long ago the machine was left in Antarctica, I believe it will look alot like a snow or ice hill matching the vechicle's dimensions. Kinda hard to find a white hill in the land of white hills too. Lol

[@smilingcat1703]

This is the first time I've seen Calum's face. I subscribed off the Snow cruiser video. He looks exactly how I imagined him

[@CalumRaasay]

Hahaha I truly hope thats a compliment

[@smilingcat1703]

@@CalumRaasay It is. I wish I had your accent. Epic accent.

[@nelsondfg211]

Your videos are weasome, i love your chanel

[@liama5429]

I honestly think if they ever do find the snow cruiser they should restore it to its former glory!

[@lovecraftcat]

Mustard recently covered the Snow Cruiser. But Callum did it better.

[@happyundertaker6255]

Please do a vid on the Beechcraft. Also :Talisker👍

[@CalumRaasay]

Talisker Port Righ! Best release 🙏

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

Your channel is SO FUCKING GOOD!

[@johnanon6938]

Late to comment but I wonder if the idea of underinflating the tires when stuck in soft snow was something they thought of back then? One of the images of the ASC on snow looked like one set of tires at the front were underinflated maybe? Or did Poulter and his team discuss that when the ASC got on solid ice (as often found in the middle of the Antartic) that the tires would need to be more fully inflated?

[@jjonestowne]

2:53 Dig the alligator skin texture on the envelope. 🐊😆

[@NathanTarantlawriter]

Some very happy Old Ones have repurposed it into something like a big smokehouse for curing giant penguin meat.

[@philliplopez8745]

It is one of those things that beg the question " just because you can ? "

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

I had a sailplane instructor that was...ready...get ready...he was one of the Test Pilots on the Stagger Wing Beechcraft! Eddie was his name.

[@olivergs9840]

I love how your recommended videos included Tom Scott, Men, Mentor Pilot, and more

[@CalumRaasay]

excuse me thats private information look away!

[@olivergs9840]

@@CalumRaasay I actually remember learning a bit about the snow cruiser before you put your video up, and making similar vehicles in games such as Space Engineers. I quickly found out the reason why you normally don't see vehicles with such enormous overhangs; they dig themselves into the ground wherever the ground slopes up, or they'll force the body off the ground, making the nearest wheels ineffective. If you like, I can also send you some interesting articles I've found about the soviet An-2 cargo biplanes used in Antarctica; I've seen them in the background of several shots in your Kharkovchanka video.

[@BigDaddyCaveman1]

I think about the beetle from another one of your video's that fell thru the Ice and sank. Someday somebody is gonna be scanning the bottom and come across this. WTH?? There is a VW parked there! [OK, your relieved of duty for Drinking on the job] 😅

[@cynicalrabbit915]

I've not watched past the section that described it sinking in the snow unable to surmount that problem. Two improvements Keep the dual wheels but upgrade to eight huge rice paddy tires used in farming today with the equally huge 4-wheel drive tractors and add chains to provide more traction. Sorry just what iffing.

[@siubhan2047]

Ten Years ago I took a trip round Scotland with the express purpose of going to as many distilleries as possible. Out of all the many single malts I tasted, Talisker was by far my least favourite. Just thought I'd drop that bombshell. :)

[@CalumRaasay]

It can be hit or miss. Raasay is better (because I make it)

[@buzhichun]

Totally off-topic, but nice Nikonos and Pentax 6x7 in the background!

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha nothings off topic for this video! I actually have a Nikonos III as well. Definatley a video i want to make in the future!

[@yunassaxer7119]

great!

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you!

[@camillitech1]

Nice one Pal ;-)

[@CalumRaasay]

Thanks Paul! 👍🏻

[@paulhaynes8045]

Very interesting. You're a natural at this, I'm surprised you don't have 100s of thousands of subscribers! The research you do alone puts most other YT channels to shame. Although, it has to be said that the Snow Cruiser was a badly designed vehicle, built in a rush by someone who refused to believe his ideas could be wrong, that then was so useless, it never really went anywhere, and was abandoned and forgotten. Rather ironically, from a British point of view, it bears horrible parallels with Scott's expedition! Whilst I appreciate how interesting all this is, it was basically a failure - and was always going to be. Soviet historians must be looking at all the fuss about this and thiking to themselves "but ours worked!".

[@johnwang9914]

Keep in mind that the Soviets used tracked vehicles rather successfully in the Arctic. I blame Good Year for the tires as they surely wanted to promote rubber tires. Interestingly, the Soviets tried to learn from the American SnowCruiser and their first attempt also put the engine in an interior space on the premise that you would be sheltered while doing maintenance but because of that, the engines overheated, the interior cabin was too noisy and exhaust soot got everywhere in the living space. They also failed to have auxiliary heating and electrical power in their first version so when the engine wasn't running, they froze. The Soviets with their second version went back to the AT-T tracked trucks as a basis with the engine under a hood in front of the cab, both of which being separate from the interior space. They also included auxiliary heat and power with the second version though they could not benefit from that when maintaining the engine. (I'm surprised the Soviets didn't use one of their Strontium RTG's for auxiliary power). They could've just gone to multiple tracks to be long enough for large crevasses so crossing large crevasses wasn't a reason to not use tracks... I suppose we could say that the Soviets lucked out as they started with surplus tracked vehicles (the surplus AT-T trucks based on the T-54 tank) not purpose built Antarctic vehicles and found the tracks worked well so their purpose built vehicles used tracks whereas the US really had nothing to go on except that some of the financial contributors such as Good Year wanted tires. To be honest, I would've expected a lot of the supports to be skies with tracks for propulsion like a ski-doo. I believe the first Canadian patent for a "motor sleigh" was in 1915 and involved the familiar front skis and rear tracks. The Snowcruiser was 1937 so well after the suitable strategy was already known (at least known in Canada). The Soviet Karkochanka was in 1959 with versions used through 2010 so you could also say they probably learned from the US failure but really why didn't the US just learn from Canadian successes...

[@nosorab3]

"So, how well does this thing do on ice and snow?" ~No one during the design and building process, apparently

[@socialus5689]

What the hell, i decided just yesterday to re-watch the previous Snow cruiser video.

[@kartyl1wielki]

Interesting video. I have to admit that I often forget to take into an account the fact that tings obvious to us, were not so obvious years in the past. I now wonder if in the future there will be a guy watching youtube videos on space travel and comment something along" this is so obvious they should use...". Also, I guess I am lucky this video was on my to watch list. May I ask why did you unlist it?

[@benkullman6210]

My grandma once showed me a picture it was of admiral bird standing beside the snow curser in byucrus Ohio ,if you would like I could get the photo to show u?

[@KA-dx2kz]

Wouldn't the mouse heavy tank and TOG 2 be a better comparison then the char b.

[@TheGreatSteve]

I wish someone would raise and restore the Caspian Sea Monster.

[@paveloleynikov4715]

Or even restore Lun' to presentable shape, as planed

[@TheGreatSteve]

11:40 I've got a copy of the same book. :-)

[@CalumRaasay]

It’s a great book! Been referencing it for years!

[@theshed8802]

I suspect that a set of snow chains might have made a difference.

[@raymondellis2212]

they tried them and it didnt

[@peterhall8572]

The Christie tank suspension system was rejected by the US govt so he sold it to the Soviets, then when American Officials saw it in use they realised they should use a similar system, This was around the same ERA

[@rarebreed6703]

I wish they would make a show on finding the land cruiser. Maybe exhibition unknown will make a show out of it.

[@ewanmurray153]

They look like tundra tyres, which kinda makes sense - till you take it to the Antarctic

[@jfkr77]

Let’s go find it

[@michaelwebber4033]

There are historically very few staggewings here in New Zealand. Possibly 2 have been here in my lifetime and none that I know of before I was born

[@erer270]

Is there anything left of Little America 3?

[@robertjames9547]

Did anyone ask goodyear about those tires they provided🤔

[@K8E666]

Talisker whiskey made by the sea in Skye

[@aserta]

IF it wasn't abraded away/crushed by the chunk's movements, they will likely find it upside down at the bottom. Whilst the balloon tires wouldn't be enough to keep it afloat, it would be enough to force it heavy part down (assuming, they were still inflated). That means that it's likely crushed (much like other things that fell in such a manner, be they planes, boats).

[@DutchPigeon]

I'm just gonna say, if it so happens that an expedition gets started, and you happen to get invited for it, that better be fully documented on here xD

[@CalumRaasay]

Hahaha that’s the dream!

[@trucktalkvideos]

The yellow aircraft is a Boeing I'm 99% sure The Beach would have been used as a target tug...

[@TimTheInspector]

The big yellow twin engine biplane is a Curtiss Condor.

[@michaelpettersson4919]

Once failed did this thing saw use as a base structure?

[@CalumRaasay]

Yeah they used it as a stationary barracks for a bit.

[@almirria6753]

It is at the bottom of the ocean as the ice shelf it was sitting on has caved off. the ice then melted & it sank to the sea floor.

[@trucktalkvideos]

Does anyone know were the model is ?

[@StockTurboN20]

If the Snow Cruiser is found if it’s a even able to be lifted ( it weighs 75k lbs) it would be absolutely priceless

[@HansFrisk]

@Calum What Whiskey is that?

[@CalumRaasay]

Talisker Port Ruigh!

[@HansFrisk]

@@CalumRaasay thought i recognized it, sits in the whiskey locker here :)

[@alpharaptor7510]

You’re video about the snow cruiser was in my Recommended list and I thought I’m going to watch it because it looks weird Well I like this video and last video about it. I wish I was rich so I could find it but I’m not rich, I live in Australia and I’m only 17

[@lookoutleo]

Wonder what whiskey that is? :)

[@lurkintomgaming397]

It’s at the bottom of the ocean 100%

[@andersonbowes7065]

Dirk Pitt found the Snow Cruiser... read Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler for an alternate ending to the Snow Cruiser's fate, you'll get a good laugh.

[@mrpoool1015]

Never clicked on a video faster than this

[@CalumRaasay]

haha thank you! More videos on the way ;)

[@mrpoool1015]

@@CalumRaasay Glad to hear that, especially the long videos about antartic vehicles were very Interesting to me.

[@beastsquad3227]

So they already made the big wheels and they were having issues with him because of no tread and stuff so why would they have not tried to put chains on the tires they could even made special chains that get even more traction with studs on them

[@CalumRaasay]

They did try chains. But also they had to evacuate the whole thing anyway due to the start of the war so they didn’t have time to try anything else

[@beastsquad3227]

@@CalumRaasay aww got it

[@Punisher9419]

TOG II* is slightly shorter and slightly shorter in height but wider then the Char 2C tank. It's 10 tons heavier though at 80 logn tons. If I win the lottery which is unlikely because I don't buy lottery tickets I will fund your expedition.

[@fuba83]

1. design a snowcruiser 2. build the snowcruiser with living suite and scientific gadgets 3. ship it to antarctrica 4. realize that slick tires dont work on snow while your snowcruiser is stuck after rolling off the ramp;