Aboard a “penguin” to the South Pole

The Penguin-MS is the name of a unique velo-ark invented by Leonid Mykula, a celebrated adventurer from Kharkiv, who plans to travel on his invention to the South Pole this year.

Mykula, 63, is famous for having walked on stilts across Europe and climbed to the top of Mt. Hoverla. It took him almost two years to build this ark. He specially chose winter for traveling to Antarctica, because when it is winter in Ukraine the sixth continent is having its short summer, so people venturing a trip to the South Pole can avoid numerous additional hardships. Even so, the adventurers will be protected by the Penguin-MS, which combines the properties of a velomobile, yacht, cutter, snowmobile, and iceboat; it will also serve as a refrigerator for food and a home for the crew.

1,500 KM ACROSS ICE AND WATER

Mykula’s invention is dedicated to the famous British explorer Robert F. Scott, who was the first to decide to conquer one of the earth’s poles by a method requiring strength: traveling by sled to the heart of the Antarctic. He did not return from the journey. Scott is a true idol for the Donetsk inventor, as evidenced by the initials “MS” in the name of the velo-ark, which stands for “In Memory of Scott.” In fact, this dedication is traced not only in words but in deeds. Mykula also prefers the strength method of surmounting obstacles, where everything depends on man’s perseverance and mental endurance. He expects his adventure to succeed, although he has not ruled out the possibility of failure. He says that even if they don’t reach the South Pole, the main thing is to try.

Mykula will not conquer the sixth continent alone but together with Dzhumber Lezhava, the noted Georgian traveler, who has been to the Antarctic twice and whose achievements are recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Preliminary estimates show that the expedition will last about a month. Actually the velo-ark is meant to help the travelers cover the distance on time and complete their journey before the end of the short Antarctic summer. The vehicle can travel up to 18 kilometers per hour, so the travelers will be able to cover over 400 kilometers in 24 hours. The total distance is more than 1,500 kilometers, and it should be noted that the route of the Ukrainian velomobile driver will be 400 kilometers longer than his idol’s. The expedition will set off from the UK’s Halley Research Station in the northwest corner of the Antarctic (an alternative is the Argentinian polar station General Belgrano IV). The entire trip is to be accomplished by muscle power. If need be, however, the velo-ark can be converted into a yacht (there are sails) or a cutter that works like a small catamaran, if the travelers are fortunate enough not to experience a storm. On water the Penguin-MS has a speed of 10 kilometers per hour, which is less than on solid ground, but not bad at all.

Keeping in mind the Antarctic environment, Mykula also designed his vehicle so that it can be converted into a sled that can ride over the snow easily and quickly. The Penguin’s bottom is made so that it glides smoothly on the ice and does not sink in loose snow. Here the propelling force will also be the travelers’ muscles, although tailwinds will boost the velo-ark’s speed.

WARM DREAMS

At night the vehicle can be converted into a cozy but cramped shelter, as it is slightly over two meters long and 1.3 meters wide. After carefully calculating every detail, they will take 30-40 kilos of food, although such a trip would normally require an average of 50 kilos.

The weather is the only unpredictable risk factor. Naturally, during the season chosen for the expedition Antarctica will not be as beastly cold as in winter, and the temperature will not drop below -50°C. For people who are accustomed to the Ukrainian climate this temperature is very cold, and the travelers’ only protection will be their warm clothing and the 15-mm-thick walls of the velo-ark. Still, Mykula and Lezhava are not afraid of the weather. “The vehicle is made of a double layer of fiberglass,” Mykula explained during the presentation of his invention, “and between the layers there is another very strong material. It will be enough to protect the crew from the Antarctic weather.” The inventor added that the Penguin-MS will be even warmer inside thanks to a layer of thermal protective paint developed in Germany. It is a special agent used to cover spaceships and polar cross-country vehicles to keep some warmth inside. “This paint retains between 8 and 45 percent of warmth, depending on the thickness of the layer and the degree of airtightness,” says the inventor, adding that owing to this technology, the temperature inside the Penguin-MS will be above zero even on the coldest days of the expedition.

ANTARCTIC EXERCISE

The first thing the Georgian traveler will do when he reaches the South Pole will be pushups. He is a many-time world champion in this event and can do 135 pushups in one minute, or over 44,000 in 24 hours.

After this ritual the two adventurers will bury a capsule with the national emblems of Ukraine and Georgia. This is not a casual decision; the idea for the expedition was conceived primarily for the sole purpose of upholding “the positive image of Ukraine as a country inhabited by courageous and talented people.”

The travelers will carry out another task. They will prove that there must be room for adventures, heroic deeds, and strength of mind in the life of every human being, age notwithstanding, along with “countless exciting ideas so that people can learn about themselves and demonstrate this to others.”