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.
41-650: 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 (4,043 miles), it crashed, due to undetermined circumstances, 650 km (404 miles) from its destination, Kaunas , Lithuania . On June 18, 1932, the pilots purchased the Pacemaker airplane, serial no. 137, registered as NC-688E, from
82-537: A Packard DR-980 diesel , piloted by Walter Lees and Frederick Brossy , set a record for staying aloft for 84 hours and 33 minutes without being refuelled. This record was not broken until 55 years later. In Alaska and the Canadian bush, Bellancas were very popular. Canadian-operated Bellancas were initially imported from the United States, but later, six were built by Canadian Vickers in Montreal and delivered to
123-466: A concentration camp . Autopsies of pilots revealed no signs of bullets. However, not all parts of the plane were returned to the Lithuanian government. On July 19, a German Deruluft airplane carried the bodies of the pilots back to Lithuania. The people of Kaunas met the heroes in great sorrow. The funeral was a solemn occasion and was the cause of official national mourning. A few months after
164-464: A " speed ring ". On March 29, 1933, the rebuild was complete, and the registration number was changed to NR-688E, and the aircraft was painted orange. On both sides of the fuselage scrolls with the names of the sponsors were painted. The aircraft was dubbed Lituanica , Latin for Lithuania . Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas were Lithuanian pilots, emigrants to the United States , who made
205-464: A famous New York City -area early airport on western Long Island from which many record flights originated — to Istanbul, Turkey aboard an earlier model of the Wright R-975 -powered CH-300, a Bellanca "Special J-300" high-wing monoplane named Cape Cod , registration NR761W , making it safely to Istanbul nonstop in 49:20 hours, establishing a distance record of 5,011.8 miles (8,065.7 km),
246-463: A flight festival in Chicago for gliding his plane and landing with a dead engine. According to the board, the catastrophe occurred due to difficult weather conditions combined with engine defects. The crash most probably was a result of failed emergency landing . There were rumors and suspicions in some quarters, that the plane was shot down, having been mistaken for a spy plane, because it flew near
287-445: A significant flight in the history of world aviation . On July 15, 1933, they flew across the Atlantic Ocean , covering a distance of 3,984 miles (6,411 kilometers) without landing, in 37 hours and 11 minutes (107.1 mph). In terms of comparison, as far as the distance of non-stop flights was concerned, their result ranked second only to that of Russell Boardman and John Polando , and ranked fourth in terms of duration of flight at
328-493: A total capacity of 88 US gal (330 L). Wing struts were 2/3 wood, 1/3 steel (at the wings) with aero-dynamic steel ribs, fabric-covered, giving an additional 47 ft² (4.4 m²) lifting surface. Tail surfaces were made of welded steel tubing. The horizontal stabilizer was of spruce strips and plywood, with the trim-angle adjustable in flight. The landing gear was a curved steel bar with rubber rope suspension. Wheels 30 × 5 inches (762 by 127 mm). The engine
369-556: Is named after this flight. The avenue runs between Halsted and Morgan streets from 31st and 35th streets, and after a jog east proceeds south to 38th place between Sangamon and Halsted streets. The small town of Beverly Shores, Indiana (just west of Michigan City, Indiana), has another memorial to the Lituanica flight. There, in 1968, the American Lithuanian Club established a park and named it Lituanica Park after
410-699: The Apalachicola River , which would be on Eastern Standard Time year-round). A similar bill was proposed for the Canadian province of Ontario by its legislative assembly in late 2020, which would have a similar effect on the province if passed. For those in the United States, daylight saving time for the Eastern Time Zone was introduced by the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which specified that daylight saving time would run from
451-704: The Lituanica tragedy, some prominent members of the Chicago Lithuanian community discussed the possibility of financing another transatlantic flight. This idea was greeted with much enthusiasm, and enough funds were raised during the Great Depression . A faster and more modern Lockheed Vega was purchased from the Lockheed Aircraft Corp., the same model used by Wiley Post in his round-the-world flight, and by Amelia Earhart ,
SECTION 10
#1732791438810492-639: The Atlantic) (1983). Kaunas 's sports stadium, S.Darius and S.Girėnas Stadium , where the Lithuanian national soccer team plays its home matches, is also named in their honor. There is a tall stone monument near the stadium, the Lithuanian Academy of Sport and the Ąžuolynas Park dedicated to the pilots. Sculptor Bronius Pundzius made a relief of the pilots' faces on the Puntukas , then
533-472: The Atlantic, only to perish on July 17, 0:36 am ( CET ) by the village of Kuhdamm, near Soldin, Germany (now Pszczelnik , near Myślibórz , Poland (52°51'11.57"N 14°50'17.78"E)). The planned route was: New York – Newfoundland – Atlantic Ocean – Ireland – London – Amsterdam – Swinemünde – Königsberg – Kaunas airport (a total of 7,186 km). Due to weather conditions over Ireland, they veered to
574-650: The Atlantic. In 1934 the bodies of Darius and Girėnas were embalmed by professor Jurgis Zilinskas. In 1936 the Lithuanian government decided to build a mausoleum for Darius and Girėnas in Kaunas' old cemetery, that was destroyed after Soviet re-occupation . From then until the present day, the wreckage of Lituanica has been on display in the Vytautas the Great War Museum in Kaunas . The pilots' bodies rest in
615-530: The Bellanca CH-300 used in the flight. In 1971, to honor the pilots, a large modern sculpture by J. Barkis was placed in the park's pond. Before the flight Girėnas and Darius left a testament to the Lithuanian nation: "Young Lithuania! Inspired by Your spirit, we embark on a mission we have chosen. May our success strengthen Your spirit and confidence in Your own powers and talents! But should Neptune and
656-479: The CH-400 Skyrocket series. Pacemakers were renowned for their long-distance capabilities as well as reliability and weight-lifting attributes, which contributed to their successful operation throughout the world. In 1929, George Haldeman completed the first nonstop flight from New York to Cuba in 12 hours, 56 minutes, flying an early CH-300 (c. 1,310 miles, 101.3 mph). In 1931, a Bellanca fitted with
697-824: The Eastern Time Zone. They are: Five states are divided between the Eastern Time Zone and the Central Time Zone . The following locations observe Eastern Time: Additionally, Phenix City, Alabama , and several nearby communities in Russell County, Alabama , unofficially observe Eastern Time. This is due to their close proximity to Columbus, Georgia , which is on Eastern Time. In addition Smiths Station in Lee County along with Valley and Lanett in Chambers county honor Eastern Time. The Bahamas and Haiti officially observe both Eastern Standard Time during
738-588: The Military Cemetery of Šančiai , Kaunas. Chicago's Lithuanian community erected an Art Deco Monument commemorating Girėnas and Darius in Chicago's Marquette Park in 1935 where it still stands to this day. Feliksas Vaitkus was inspired by the flight and commemorated it with the flight of the Lituanica II in 1935. The flight is commemorated in a movie Skrydis per Atlantą (Flight over
779-616: The Pacemaker floatplane for General Airways starting in June 1935 during his bushflying days. He and Molson delivered it to its final resting place in the museum on May 30, 1964, after a trip taking five days and just over 30 hours of flight time. The aircraft was reregistered CF-ATN as the original registered a/c was destroyed in an accident in June 1938. One of the first records set by a Bellanca CH-300 series aircraft occurred on July 28–30, 1931, when Russell Norton Boardman (age 33) and John Louis Polando (age 29) flew from Floyd Bennett Field —
820-691: The Pal-Waukee Company for $ 3,200. First produced and flown in 1929, forty units of the CH-300 Pacemaker were eventually built. It was a single-engine, six-seat, high-wing monoplane. The fuselage was welded chromoly steel tubing covered with fabric. The cabin interior was covered with a sound-absorbing material. The fuselage had side and top windows, with doors on both sides. The wings were of wooden construction, with two spars, also fabric-covered. The spars and ribs were made of spruce strips and plywood. The wings had two gasoline tanks with
861-523: The RCAF (added to the first order of 29 made in 1929), which used them mainly for aerial photography. In May 1964, Capt. A.G.K.(Gath) Edward, a senior Air Canada pilot, and Ken Molson (the then curator of the Aviation Museum of Canada based at Rockcliffe) traveled to Juneau Alaska to ferry Bellanca Pacemaker NC3005 back to the museum which had obtained the aircraft. Edward had flown a similar model of
SECTION 20
#1732791438810902-524: The United States, with the exception of Saskatchewan , Yukon , and several other very localized areas. None of those areas are in the Eastern Time Zone. The boundary between time zones is set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations , with the boundary between the Eastern and Central Time Zones being specifically detailed in 49 C.F.R. part 71. Washington, D.C. , and 17 states are located entirely within
943-450: The depths of the Atlantic nurture perseverance and resoluteness in young Lithuanians, so that a Winged Lithuanian conquers the treacherous Atlantic for the glory of Mother Lithuania! We therefore dedicate and sacrifice our flight for You, Young Lithuania!" 52°51′11.57″N 14°50′17.78″E / 52.8532139°N 14.8382722°E / 52.8532139; 14.8382722 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker Bellanca further developed
984-564: The earlier CH-200 to create the CH-300 Pacemaker. The CH-300 was a conventional, high-wing braced monoplane with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Like other Bellanca aircraft of the period, it featured "flying struts". While the CH-200 was powered by 220 hp Wright J-5 engines, the CH-300 series Pacemakers were powered by 300 hp Wright J-6s . Late in the series, some -300s were fitted with 420 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasps , leading to
1025-554: The first Sunday in November. In Canada, daylight saving time begins and ends on the same days and at the same times as it does in the United States. In Canada , the following provinces and territories are part of the Eastern Time Zone: Within Canada, as with the United States, the Eastern Time Zone is the most populous time zone. Most of Canada observes daylight saving time synchronously with
1066-478: The first known nonstop record flight in aviation history whose distance surpassed either the English (5,000 mi) or metric (8,000 km) mark. On June 3, 1932, Stanislaus F. Hausner, flying a Bellanca CH Pacemaker named Rose Marie , powered by a 300-hp Wright J-6, attempted a transatlantic flight from Floyd Bennett Field, New York, to Warsaw, Poland. The attempt failed when he made a forced landing at sea; he
1107-467: The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. The aircraft was christened Lituanica II on Sunday, April 22, 1934. When the pilot originally chosen for the flight unexpectedly resigned in the spring, the Lithuanian organizers turned to Felix Waitkus , and he accepted the challenge. Although he landed in Ireland and not in Kaunas, he entered aviation history for being the sixth pilot to fly solo across
1148-490: The fuselage, having 220 US gal (830 L) and 185 US gal (700 L) capacity, each equipped with emergency dump valves. Beneath the pilot's seat a 25 US gal (95 L) oil tank was outfitted with 12 cooling tubes. A longer horizontal stabilizer was built. Aero-dynamic wheel fairings were installed, and the fuselage received a new fabric covering. A new, higher compression engine, 365 hp (272 kW) Wright Whirlwind J6-9E, ser. No. 12733, had
1189-528: The largest known boulder in the territory of Lithuania, in 1943. In New York City, in 1957, the fliers were memorialized with a granite flagstaff showing the pair in bas-relief. The monument is located in Lithuania Square, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In Kaunas, a model of the Lituanica was put in 2013 to commemorate 80 years of the event. Lituanica Ave, Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago, IL
1230-675: The last Sunday of April until the last Sunday in October. The act was amended to make the first Sunday in April the beginning of daylight saving time beginning in 1987. Later, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended daylight saving time in the United States, beginning in 2007. Since then, local times change at 2:00 a.m. EST to 3:00 a.m. EDT on the second Sunday in March, and return from 2:00 a.m. EDT to 1:00 a.m. EST on
1271-568: The mighty ruler of storms Perkūnas unleash their wrath upon us, should they stop our way to Young Lithuania and call Lituanica to their realm – then You, Young Lithuania, will have to resolve anew, make sacrifice and prepare for a new quest, so that gods of stormy oceans be pleased with Your effort, resolution, and do not summon You for the Great Judgement. May Lituanica's victory strengthen the spirit of young sons of Lithuania, inspire them for new quests. May Lituanica's defeat and sinking into
Lituanica - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-422: The most difficult part of the flight was executed with great precision. The commission concluded that during the crash the aircraft engine was running (the propeller was rotating), and there was enough fuel on board. Some sources mention pilot error , but both pilots were highly experienced. During his career as pilot, Darius had never been involved in any previous accidents. In 1931, Girėnas had won first prize in
1353-486: The north and reached Germany via Scotland and the North Sea. In 37 hours and 11 minutes, until the moment of the crash, they had flown 6411 km (over 7000 km in actual flight path), only 636 km short of their goal—Kaunas. A Lithuanian board of investigation was appointed to determine the cause. It concluded that the pilots were properly qualified, and the aircraft was properly outfitted. They added that
1394-625: The second Sunday in March, at 2:00 a.m. EST, clocks are advanced to 3:00 a.m. EDT, creating a 23 hour day. On the first Sunday in November, at 2:00 a.m. EDT, clocks are moved back to 1:00 a.m. EST, which results in a 25 hour day. The boundaries of the Eastern Time Zone have moved westward since the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) took over time-zone management from railroads in 1938. The easternmost and northernmost counties in Kentucky were added to
1435-483: The time. Although Darius and Girenas did not have navigational equipment and flew under unfavorable weather conditions, the flight was one of the most precise in aviation history. It equaled, and in some aspects surpassed, Charles Lindbergh 's classic flight. An ordinary unmodified plane of this size cannot cover a comparable distance (the Cessna 152 , for instance, has a range of 1200 km), even today. The flight
1476-400: The winter months and Eastern Daylight Time during the summer months. Cuba generally follows the U.S. with Eastern Standard Time in the winter, and Eastern Daylight Time in the summer, but the exact day of change varies year to year. The Cayman Islands and Jamaica use Eastern Standard Time year-round. The Turks and Caicos Islands followed Eastern Time with daylight saving until 2015, when
1517-544: The wreckage of the original is kept in Vytautas Magnus War museum, Kaunas, Lithuania. General characteristics Performance Related development Related lists Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone ( ET ) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States , parts of eastern Canada , and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico . On
1558-639: The zone in the 1940s, and in 1961 most of the state went Eastern. In 2000, Wayne County , on the Tennessee border, switched from Central to Eastern Time. Within the United States, the Eastern Time Zone is the most populous region, with nearly half of the country's population. In March 2019, the Florida Legislature passed a bill requesting authorization from Congress for year-round daylight saving time, which would effectively put Florida on Atlantic Standard Time year-round (except for west of
1599-548: Was a Wright J6, radial , air cooled, 9 cylinders, 300 hp (225 kW). Funds for the plane was raised from numerous Lithuanian clubs and organizations, including air shows. On January 20, 1933, the aircraft was moved to E. M. Laird workshops at 5321 W. 65th St. in the Clearing Industrial District, Chicago, where she was rebuilt and outfitted for the transatlantic flight. New elongated wings were built, with two additional gasoline tanks installed in
1640-518: Was also important from a scientific and technological perspective, as it explored air flows and the capabilities of this type of aircraft. In their last letter, the pilots wrote that either a successful flight or a possible catastrophe would be valuable and significant enough and hence it was worthwhile to fly in either case. After taking off from Floyd Bennett Field in New York on July 15, 1933, 6:24 am EDT , Darius and Girėnas successfully crossed
1681-436: Was rescued by a British tanker eight days later. On July 15, 1933 6:24 AM two Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius ir Stasys Girėnas flying a heavily modified CH-300 named Lituanica lifted off from Floyd Bennet Field to attempt a non stop transatlantic flight. They successfully crossed the Atlantic, however crashed in the forest near Pszczelnik, Poland. Flying replica of the plane is on display in Lithuanian museum of Aviation,