The Blanik L-13 shall rise again! (?)

[JJJ]

Oct. 26, 2016. One of the members of my club just sent this notice
around, along with this link: http://www.blanik.aero/customer-support
That's all I know.
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5.10.2016

Dear owners and supporters of L-13 Blanik gliders.

We are proud we can announce to the soaring community that the FAA has released Federal Aviation Administration approval of the Blanik Limited Airworthiness Restoration of the Blanik Limited model L-13 glider – FAA Project Number AT00794CE-G.

Now we are closely working with the FAA to submit and approve an AMOC (Alternative Method of Compliance) which will precisely specify how to maintain the fleet of grounded L-13s in the U.S. based on their technical condition.

We believe that we are close to the solution which will get the L-13 fleet flying again. We are also looking for qualified maintenance shops which are interested in performing the required modification.

Our goal is to bring the L-13s back to the sky before next season.

Sincerely

Vaclav Krizek
Chief Executive Officer
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[[email protected]]

On Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 11:43:08 AM UTC-7, JJJ wrote:
> Oct. 26, 2016. One of the members of my club just sent this notice
> around, along with this link: http://www.blanik.aero/customer-support
> That's all I know.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> 5.10.2016
>
> Dear owners and supporters of L-13 Blanik gliders.
>
> We are proud we can announce to the soaring community that the FAA has
> released Federal Aviation Administration approval of the Blanik Limited
> Airworthiness Restoration of the Blanik Limited model L-13 glider – FAA
> Project Number AT00794CE-G.
>
> Now we are closely working with the FAA to submit and approve an AMOC
> (Alternative Method of Compliance) which will precisely specify how to
> maintain the fleet of grounded L-13s in the U.S. based on their
> technical condition.
>
> We believe that we are close to the solution which will get the L-13
> fleet flying again. We are also looking for qualified maintenance shops
> which are interested in performing the required modification.
>
> Our goal is to bring the L-13s back to the sky before next season.
>
> Sincerely
>
> Vaclav Krizek
> Chief Executive Officer
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
>
>
>
> --
> JJJ

It looks similar to the AD&C procedure which is already approved just about everywhere except the U.S. but they specify a 6,000 hour airframe life limit (same as an L-23) instead of the AD&C 5,000 hour one. Work would probably take about $15K - a rough estimate I got for the AD&C procedure - and the airframe limit seems to be total time from new so it's probably not worth it for L-13's already over 2,000 or 3,000 hours. I'll be interested in seeing where it goes as I would like to have an L-13 in the air again for sentimental reasons. I made a failed attempt to track down a very low time one I had heard about in the U.S. because the AD&C mod is already approved here in Canada. Never found it though.

[Tim Taylor]

Which low time Blanik were you looking for? Ours is likely the lowest time in the US, it was in storage for nearly twenty years before restoration in the early 2000's.

[JJJ]

-- I'll be interested in seeing where it goes as I would like to have an L-13
-- in the air again for sentimental reasons. I made a failed attempt to track
-- down a very low time one I had heard about in the U.S. because the
-- AD&C mod is already approved here in Canada. Never found it though.

Newbie that I am, I know nothing about our club's L-13 -- not it's time,
not it's condition, nor any idea what TPTB would want to do with it.
I have no idea if they'd want to sell it now.

Would you like me to make some discreet inquiries to find out some of that?

-- J. J.
===========================

[[email protected]]

I heard tell of a sub-30 hour L-13 on RAS several years ago but couldn't track it down. Unfortunately due to recently getting married and trying to start a business I don't have the spare cash at the moment to consider buying one and getting the work done.

[JJJ]

I heard tell of a sub-30 hour L-13 on RAS several years ago but couldn't track it down. Unfortunately due to recently getting married and trying to start a business I don't have the spare cash at the moment to consider buying one and getting the work done.

Ooog. Life is complicated when you have to choose between buying a sailplane and getting married. I'm glad I don't have to make choices like that! :)

[Frank Whiteley]

On Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 10:40:18 PM UTC-6, Tim Taylor wrote:
> Which low time Blanik were you looking for? Ours is likely the lowest time in the US, it was in storage for nearly twenty years before restoration in the early 2000's.

Lower than 300 hours?

[Tim Taylor]

Ours is around 800 hours now. It only had 200 hours when it was parked and not flown for twenty years. I have not seen any other low time ones in the US. Most are well over 2000 hours as they are now 40 years or older.

[Frank Whiteley]

On Saturday, October 29, 2016 at 5:53:11 PM UTC-6, Tim Taylor wrote:
> Ours is around 800 hours now. It only had 200 hours when it was parked and not flown for twenty years. I have not seen any other low time ones in the US. Most are well over 2000 hours as they are now 40 years or older.

I think Tom's in Idaho is fairly low time. When I did a quick survey, several were well under the 1800 hours that the Austrian failure happened at. But I'm still curious about the actual usage history of that one.

IRCC, the original service life was 3650 hours. Those returned to the factory for the wing root modification, the L-13A1, we granted something like a 5000 life. From what I gathered there was no accurate list of those having had the modification and they could only be identified by counting rivets in the root rib. If any were ever imported into the US, I have no idea. The FAA didn't appear to address these.

I'd heard second hand that the L-13 owned privately by the main benefactor of the WAAAM in Hood River had 300 hours when the gliders were grounded.

But then, before repainting, the L-13 tied out at Boulder had three N-number shadows on various parts.

YMMV on an AMOC, but if a $15K AMOC put a 2000 hour L-13 that's in good condition overall back in the air with a 5000 hour service life, it might be appealing.

Frank Whiteley

[[email protected]]

> Ooog. Life is complicated when you have to choose between buying a
> sailplane and getting married. I'm glad I don't have to make choices
> like that! :)
>
>
>
>
> --
> JJJ

On the bright side she's happy that I have an ASW-15, loves to fly with me in the club two seaters, and even helps out with polishing!