Lehtovaara PIK 16 Vasama

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.

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.

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.

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.

Variants

PIK-16a

Prototype with a V-tail.

PIK-16b

Revised design with a cruciform tail, four built by the Finnish Aeronautical Association at the Jämi Flying School.

PIK-16c

Third version

Aircraft on display

Finnish Aviation Museum

Specifications (Pik-16 Vasama)

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

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 (155 mph; 135 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)