I owned a 17 for about 10 years. I can tell you from personal
experience that the 17 is very easy to rig IF you have a good system and
appropriate rigging aids. There is no reason to be holding a 17 inner
panel for any longer than it takes to get it on a nice stable wing
stand. When both inner panels are inserted and resting on stands, you
just adjust the height of the fuselage with the ramp jack till the holes
line up. You will then be able to insert the pins with one finger, no
struggling. What is true of any glider but most certainly with the big
ships, if it doesn't go together easily, something is not in the right
place. Find and fix the problem, a bigger hammer is not the answer.
Don't fight with it, and on the big ships, use two wing stands and keep
your friends.

Bob

Marc Ramsey wrote:
rich wrote:

Thanks for the input, I didn't know about the one piece wings. Did
that ever change, what serial number, and subsequent?


No, all LAK-12s have single piece wings. After having failed, a number
of times, to avoid being in the vicinity when ASW-17s and LAK-12s are
ready to be assembled, I'll say that the inner section of a 17 wing is
somewhat more awkward and tiring to hold up than an entire 12 wing...

Marc