Lehtovaara PIK-16 Vasama

The Lehtovaara PIK-16 Vasama (English: Arrow) is a Finnish mid-wing, single-seat, FAI Standard Class glider that was designed by Tuomo Tervo, Jorma Jalkanen and Kurt Hedstrom, who were students at the Polyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho (PIK) and produced by Lehtovaara.[1][2]

PIK-16 Vasama
Role Glider
National origin Finland
Designer Tuomo Tervo, Jorma Jalkanen and Kurt Hedstrom, students at the Polyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho (PIK)
Introduction 1961
Number built 56

Design and development

The PIK-16 is constructed from wood, with a fibreglass nose. The 15.0 m (49.2 ft) span wing employs a Wortmann FX-05-168 (14% modification) airfoil at the wing root, transitioning to a NACA 63 (2)-165 at the wing tip. The wing features dive brakes.[1][2][3] The prototype Vasama had V tail, but it was changed to cruciform tail on production aircraft.

A total of 56 PIK-16s were built. The aircraft was not type certified but it did become the second most exported Finnish glider, surpassed only by the later PIK-20 series.[1][2][4]

Operational history

The prototype PIK-16 set a Finnish national record for a 300 km (186 mi) triangle course of 86.6 km/h (54 mph) before it had even finished flight testing.[5]

The design won the OSTIV prize at the World Gliding Championships held at Junín, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina in 1963, finishing third in the standard class.[1][2]

Variants
PIK-16a
Prototype with a V-tail.[3][5]
PIK-16b
Revised design with a cruciform tail, four built by the Finnish Aeronautical Association at the Jämi Flying School.[3][6]
PIK-16c
Third version[3]

Aircraft on display

Specifications (Pik-16 Vasama)

Data from The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs du Monde Volume II[7]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 5.97 m (19 ft 7 in)
  • Wingspan: 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
  • Height: 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) at cockpit
  • Wing area: 11.7 m2 (126 sq ft)
  • Aspect ratio: 19.2
  • Airfoil: Root: Wortmann FX-05-188 (14% mod), tip:NACA 632 615
  • Empty weight: 166 kg (366 lb)
  • Gross weight: 281 kg (619 lb)

Performance

  • Stall speed: 62 km/h (39 mph, 33 kn)
  • Never exceed speed: 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)
  • Rough air speed max: 180 km/h (111.8 mph; 97.2 kn)
  • Aerotow speed: 150 km/h (93.2 mph; 81.0 kn)
  • Winch launch speed: 140 km/h (87.0 mph; 75.6 kn)
  • Terminal velocity: with full airbrakes 235 km/h (146 mph; 127 kn)
  • g limits: +7 -4 at 160 km/h (99.4 mph; 86.4 kn)
  • Maximum glide ratio: 34.5 at 86 km/h (53.4 mph; 46.4 kn)
  • Rate of sink: 0.59 m/s (116 ft/min) at 73 km/h (45.4 mph; 39.4 kn)
  • Wing loading: 24 kg/m2 (4.9 lb/sq ft)

See also

Related lists

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to PIK-16 Vasama.

Citations
  1. Activate Media (2006). "PIK-16 Vasama Lehtovaara". Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  2. Said, Bob (November 1983). "1983 Sailplane Directory". Soaring Magazine. Soaring Society of America. p. 94.
  3. Lednicer, David (2010). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  4. Finnish Aviation Museum (2009). "PIK 16c Vasama". Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  5. "Sport and Business". Flight International. 17 August 1961. p. 212. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  6. "Sport and Business". Flight International. 23 August 1962. p. 280. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  7. Shenstone, B.S.; K.G. Wilkinson (1963). The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs du Monde Volume II (in English, French, and German) (1st ed.). Zurich: Organisation Scientifique et Technique Internationale du Vol a Voile (OSTIV) and Schweizer Aero-Revue. pp. 74–75.

Bibliography
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