World Record for Flight in Super-Light Plane Planned to Celebrate St. Petersburg's Tercentenary

Super-light flying apparatus Scarab is planned to begin its air journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow within the next few days. The flight will be dedicated to St. Petersburg's tercentenary. The inventor of the apparatus, Alexandre Begak, decided to make the flight. The apparatus is fitted with a small motor and consists of a capsule, in which the pilot will sit, and a soft wing resembling the dome of a parachute.

Begak explained that the main goal of the flight is to attain the world record for the length of a non-stop flight in a super-light flying apparatus, as well as to 'revive interest in aviation adventure'. He said that Scarab will make its flight between the middle of July and August 3 (depending on flying permission), but the precise date depends primarily on the weather.

The inventor said that the apparatus has an average flying speed of 40 km/h, and the length of time it will take to complete the distance between the two towns depends to a large extent on the hazards of nature. The pilot hopes, however, that not more than 24 hours will be spent in the air. Scarab will land, in all probability, at the Tushin aerodrome in Moscow. However, Begak is trying to get permission to land on Red Square. During the flight, he plans to film footage from the aircraft, which will be broadcast live on the television channel ORT.

As the inventor informed us, the first attempt at a flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow on a super-light apparatus took place almost 90 years ago. On June 10, 1911, thousands of residents of St. Petersburg gathered at the Komendant Aerodrome to watch the 8 aviators take off. Only one of them made it - A.A.Vasilyev. He flew the 725 km on the Blerio XI aircraft in 24 hours 41 minutes, attaining a record for flight length within 24 hours.