The hangar bay slowly became visible as the overhead lights warmed up and illuminated the room. Gadget had indeed been busy. Monty, Chip, and Dale had helped her move several large crates into headquarters, but she was so particular about how to build everything that they'd largely left her alone and hadn't seen her new work until now. Gadget opened up a storage locker and handed each Ranger a heavy down hooded parka, gloves, goggles, and a balaclava.
"This is all rated to minus twenty Fahrenheit so we should be good to go with no problems," she said.
The upgraded Ranger Wing was a sight to see. The plane now had a retractable glass canopy over the cockpit. A butane lighter was attached to air ducts that surrounded the engines and the cockpit, keeping the engines, batteries, and passengers warm. The reinforced frame now carried four engines instead of the usual two to account for the weight of the additional gear. The wings had been lengthened and now had a recessed groove cut into it to allow for a length of copper wire to zigzag across its surface so the wings could be heated to clear it of ice. The plane was also fitted with skis, an underbody grappling arm, and was mounted to a spring loaded catapult launching system with metal tracks that led to the bay doors. A Rescue Ranger logo was emblazoned on the side of the fuselage under the cockpit.
Chip ran his gloved hand across the length of the leading edge of the wing. "Gadget! This is amazing!" he said
Dale agreed. "Neat-o!" he said.
"She's a beaut, that's for sure. This is the finest work that I've ever seen you do, love," Monty said fervently.
Even under all of her winter clothing, Gadget visibly blushed. She had worked on this plane for months and was immensely proud of it. The others had complimented her work before, but never like this and never all at once.
"Thanks, guys," she said, embarrassed. "I can't wait to try it out!"
Once the team took their places in the cockpit, Gadget pulled the canopy forward with a faint squeal as the watertight seals were compressed. With all of the heavy clothing everyone was wearing, there wasn't much room inside. The canopy began to fog over as the team breathed in the cold air. With a whirr, the engines roared to life and the plane began to shake. There was a bubbling noise as the heating system was activated. Gadget flicked another switch and the bay doors flashed bright as the plane's floodlights engaged. As the doors opened, they could see and hear nothing but a whipping, howling, solid mass of white. As Gadget released the catapult's safety catch, Chip closed his eyes and silently mouthed a prayer that they would all make it back home alive.