Lituanica was a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker airplane flown from the United States across the Atlantic Ocean by Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas in 1933. After successfully flying 6,411 km, it crashed, due to undetermined circumstances, 650 km from its destination, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Lituanica
Replica of Lituanica above Vilnius in 1993
1933 rare original photograph of the Committee of Greater New York sponsoring the Darius–Girenas Transatlantic flight, in front of the orange Belanca plane Lituanica at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, New York, taken a week before the take-off on July 15th. At extreme left is A. Mažeika, who initiated the issuance of the special flight benefitting stamps; both pilots are to the right or left of the plane at center.
Flight cover autographed by pilots Steponas Darius & Stasys Girenas of the ill-fated 1933 Lituanica
Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker
The Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker was a six-seat utility aircraft, built primarily in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a development of the Bellanca CH-200, fitted with a more powerful engine and, like the CH-200, soon became renowned for its long-distance endurance.
Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker
Hawaiian Airlines restored their first Bellanca, NC-251M, seen flying over Honolulu International Airport
Bellanca CH-300, "Lituanica", on the reverse of 10 litas banknote
Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker NC688E at EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh in July 2016
