Ugly Glider

On May 9, 11:59 am, wrote:
50:1 that you'll never have? Have you looked at a Lak-12? Great
performance for CHEAP!

There's a LAK-12 on W&W for $15k. Then add how much for the refinish
job?

(sigh) I can't even afford this... should try to sell off the kids,
then I'd have more money for flying.

I've seen that Lak 12 (it's been tied out on the flight line
atTehachapi for a long time, but removed for winters) and although
it's finish is far from perfect, it doesn't look all that bad. It
probably knocks it's L/D way down to like 47 or something.

List the family on Cragslist and you can jack the price a little more
since the buyer won't have to pay shipping.

Paul

On May 9, 11:59*am, wrote:
50:1 that you'll never have? Have you looked at a Lak-12? Great
performance for CHEAP!

There's a LAK-12 on W&W for $15k. *Then add how much for the refinish
job?

(sigh) I can't even afford this... should try to sell off the kids,
then I'd have more money for flying.

John -

There's always syndicates or partnerships!

Oh, and in case $4k makes a difference: My Russia AC-4a is available
for $11k (not yet on W&W, but it will be soon). The Urethane is
yellowing (Moscow doesn't make great paint), but overall its in good
condition... Sure its got short wings, but it has automatic control
hookups, one pin for the wing, one pin for the tail, only ~70 lbs per
wing panel, climbs like an angel, and handles like a sports-car. Can
you say _any_ of those things about the LAK-12?? :-)

Take care,

--Noel

sisu1a wrote:
On May 9, 11:59 am, wrote:

50:1 that you'll never have? Have you looked at a Lak-12? Great
performance for CHEAP!

There's a LAK-12 on W&W for $15k. Then add how much for the refinish
job?

(sigh) I can't even afford this... should try to sell off the kids,
then I'd have more money for flying.


I've seen that Lak 12 (it's been tied out on the flight line
atTehachapi for a long time, but removed for winters) and although
it's finish is far from perfect, it doesn't look all that bad. It
probably knocks it's L/D way down to like 47 or something.

List the family on Cragslist and you can jack the price a little more
since the buyer won't have to pay shipping.

Paul

Except for the fact that it offends your sense of esthetics, I don't
think a bad finish affects performance that much. At Tom Knauff's
Soaring Symposium in State College, PA this march a noted aerodynamicist
(whose name I forget) said that laminar flow was maintained even with a
certain amount of surface roughness. He said that the limit was about
the equivalent of 40 grit sandpaper. Now there's an LS3 that you will
see on OLC out of Blairstown, NJ almost every day the ridge is working,
and he does more miles than anybody. And that glider has the worst
finish I've ever seen flying. And he kicks everybody's butt.

Buy the LAK-12 if it's performance you're after.

Ed

On May 9, 7:59*pm, wrote:
snip

(sigh) I can't even afford this... should try to sell off the kids,
then I'd have more money for flying.

Send the kids out to work and confiscate their wages, so long as they
more than cover the cost of keeping them!

On 8 May, 14:49, Mike125 wrote:
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder but the Slngsby T-53B
listed for sale on W&W has to be one of the homliest gliders I've ever
seen.

As I recall, the T53B was designed to meet a set of rather eccentric
criteria from the Air Training Corps. Who then went out and bought
Grobs ...

Ian

On May 11, 2:21*am, Ian wrote:
As I recall, the T53B was designed to meet a set of rather eccentric
criteria from the Air Training Corps. Who then went out and bought
Grobs ...

...Which, as I recall, proceeded to show distress at the spar spigots
under the Corps winching-intensive program...

Bob K.

Buy the LAK-12 if it's performance you're after.

My biggest concern with any glider is two-fold:
1) Will I fit in? I'm 6'3 and fairly wide.
2) Will it handle my weight? I'm 250 pounds. Granted, I'm slowly
dropping my weight, aiming for 220 pounds. Still, that's the top end
of a lot of ships.

I fit nicely in a Blanik L-33 (well, a bit tight on shoulders, and 1/2
inch of headroom before I bang the canopy); and no parachute. But for
my first bird (if I can ever afford one), I'd like to have a bit
better legs for cross-country.

Same physical spec fits in Std Cirrus OK...

Some others are as big. I think you would have no problem in the LAK if I look
at the local owner.

Bruce

wrote:
Buy the LAK-12 if it's performance you're after.

My biggest concern with any glider is two-fold:
1) Will I fit in? I'm 6'3 and fairly wide.
2) Will it handle my weight? I'm 250 pounds. Granted, I'm slowly
dropping my weight, aiming for 220 pounds. Still, that's the top end
of a lot of ships.

I fit nicely in a Blanik L-33 (well, a bit tight on shoulders, and 1/2
inch of headroom before I bang the canopy); and no parachute. But for
my first bird (if I can ever afford one), I'd like to have a bit
better legs for cross-country.

On May 11, 8:45 pm, wrote:
Buy the LAK-12 if it's performance you're after.

My biggest concern with any glider is two-fold:
1) Will I fit in? I'm 6'3 and fairly wide.
2) Will it handle my weight? I'm 250 pounds. Granted, I'm slowly
dropping my weight, aiming for 220 pounds. Still, that's the top end
of a lot of ships.

I fit nicely in a Blanik L-33 (well, a bit tight on shoulders, and 1/2
inch of headroom before I bang the canopy); and no parachute. But for
my first bird (if I can ever afford one), I'd like to have a bit
better legs for cross-country.

Depends on whether you have long legs or long torso. You'd best try
one on. Seat back may be trimmed or removed. Big feet are also
something of an issue, but the heel cups on the rudder pedals can be
removed. A BGA/LAK factory communication states adding 3kg to the
tail allows a cockpit load of 130kg.

There's a group, lak12, on yahoo groups for discussion if you're
really interested.

On May 11, 11:01 pm, Bruce wrote:
Same physical spec fits in Std Cirrus OK...

There's a Std Cirrus coming on the market soon.