"culverflyer" wrote in
:

Sanding rather than waxing a PIK 20 Question
Has anyone have info on this I was told that when this persons PIK did
not clime well he would sand the wings with 400 grit .



I had a PIK-20d and the performance loss with bugs or rain was memorable.
The drag increase could be heard and the sink felt before rain was wisible
on the canopy.

I never waxed the glider, hoping that might help the droplets to lay flat
on the wing. The urethane finish also didn't need to be waxed to protect
it. I always wondered if a thin layer of some sort of surfactant (like
soap, maybe?) might help the problem. Never tried it, though...

I finally solved the problem by selling the PIK and co-owning a LAK-17a.
It has a urethane finish for easy care and flies just fine in the rain. It
also does't drop wings, handles great, has automatic hookups, and has
outstanding performance. Yes, it does cost a bit more.
-Bob Korves