Lituanica was an airplane Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker with a serial No. 137 which was flown from the United States across the Atlantic Ocean by two Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas back in 1933.
Darius and Girėnas in front of Bellanca (Lituanica) No. 137
After successfully flying for a distance of 6,456 km, the airplane crashed 634 km from its destination point, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas became the national heroes of Lithuania. At the same time the transatlantic flight that they made with Lituanica is also a part of world aviation history.
The president Rolandas Paksas is a well-known aerobatic pilot, a leader of Aerobatic Team ANBO and the owner of Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker that was built in 1929 with a serial No. 133.
Rolandas Paksas in front of Bellanca No. 133
He proposed an ambitious project to return back to the golden age of aviation and to repeat the transatlantic flight with analogic Bellanca for honor Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas.
Rolandas Paksas works together with Lituanica Institute to prepare Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker for 8 000 km flight.
He hopes to do it as soon as possible and asks You to donate for the transatlantic project Lituanica 2023:
Direct transfer to a bank account
Recipient: VšĮ Lituanicos institutas
Bank account (IBAN): LT15 7044 0901 0013 6758
Bank: AB SEB bankas
SWIFT code: CBVILT2X
Purpose: donation for a project Lituanica 2023