L 33 Solo Gliders

A weak point of L-33s (aside from the abrupt stall characteristics) is the weak (spar-less) outer wings. A common faith of these gliders is digging the wingtip into the ground. Holding wings level is therefore mandatory until full stop.

An interesting quirk can be the misalignment of the airbrakes: If they extend way too much, laminar airflow can reestablish through the gap between the top of the wing surface and the bottom of the perforated airbrake plates, giving the impression that the glider actually flies slightly better with fully extended airbrakes. I observed this only on one example so far but it was noticeable; probably can be easily fixed by adjusting the airbrake stop.

Overall the L33 is a great glider, good climber and fun to fly. Perfect for local soaring. Got my silver distance in it, but could easily have flown barn doors on that day.