Antarctic Odyssey Expedition To Leave Moscow

An international complex expedition, Antarctic Odyssey, will set off from Moscow on Monday, Artur Chilingarov, the head of the expedition, president of the Association of Russian Polar Explorers and a State Duma deputy, reported. It is envisaged that the upgraded plane AN-2 will be tested during the Odyssey. The new AN-3 aircraft made by the Polyot plant, Omsk, was based on the AN-2 plane. It will have to cover some 1,000 kilometres to carry the travelers to South Pole. This, Chilingarov believes, will prove the vitality of Russian aviation. According to him, the expedition is targeted at "making Russia eminent in Antarctic regions."