Stalin and the Soviet population were very proud of the Russian airmen and airwomen and the accomplishments of the aviation industry during the 1930’s.  The best of the best were known as Stalin’s Falcons of which Levanevsky seems to be the epitome.  When challenged by Stalin to show the world that passengers and cargo could fly over the pole, Levanevsky picked the 4-engine DB-A as his sky chariot.  On 12 August 1937 N-209 took to the skies bound for North America but instead took him and his hand-picked flight crew to their death.  In the chronology, follow the sequence of events of that historic flight and the numerous searches for this missing aircraft and its heroic crew.