Is a Blanik L-33 rugged enough for a club?

Does the paint last?

In a word, "no". Ours looks awful. I'll see it I can get a pic this weekend.

Ray is right, though. It handles wonderfully - light and well balanced
controls. Almost no effort to take off and tow. On the down side, do not
get slow in this glider close to the ground. That's good advice for any
glider but more so for the L33.

Tony V.

Tony Verhulst wrote:


Does the paint last?

In a word, "no". Ours looks awful. I'll see it I can get a pic this
weekend.

Here are the L-33 pics. This glider has spent a lot of time outdoors -
but, so have the Cessnas and Pipers a few yards away and THEY don't look
like this. We have a painted L-23 that doesn't look so hot either.
Cessna, Piper, and others have figured out how to paint aluminum. LET,
apparently, has not.

Tony V

http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2165.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2166.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2167.JPG

Tony Verhulst wrote:

Tony Verhulst wrote:


Does the paint last?

In a word, "no". Ours looks awful. I'll see it I can get a pic this
weekend.

Here are the L-33 pics. This glider has spent a lot of time outdoors -
but, so have the Cessnas and Pipers a few yards away and THEY don't look
like this. We have a painted L-23 that doesn't look so hot either.
Cessna, Piper, and others have figured out how to paint aluminum. LET,
apparently, has not.

Tony V

http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2165.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2166.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2167.JPG

Is sure looks like they painted bare aluminum. There certainly is not
zinc chromate primer and it does not appear there is any allodine
either. Maybe there are some other methods to prepare the bare
aluminum prior to painting, but given the way the paint is
disappearing, it does not appear any was used.

Tony Verhulst wrote:
Tony Verhulst wrote:



Does the paint last?


In a word, "no". Ours looks awful. I'll see it I can get a pic this
weekend.


Here are the L-33 pics. This glider has spent a lot of time outdoors -
but, so have the Cessnas and Pipers a few yards away and THEY don't look
like this. We have a painted L-23 that doesn't look so hot either.
Cessna, Piper, and others have figured out how to paint aluminum. LET,
apparently, has not.

Tony V

http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2165.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2166.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2167.JPG

I fail to see why anyone would leave a glider rigged - outdoors, particularly in
the Northern winter. This is what hangars were invented for.

LET L13s that I have seen all appear to have shabby paint - even when kept, as
we do, inside hangars except when flying... Never seen a L23 or 33 in the metal.

I suppose the caption is that it will look like what you treat it like.

I fail to see why anyone would leave a glider rigged - outdoors,
particularly in the Northern winter. This is what hangars were invented
for.

The airport (3B3) is privately owned and we do not have a lease. We are
"tennants at will" and could be "asked" to leave at any time. A
permanent structure at our expense is out of the question.

I suppose the caption is that it will look like what you treat it like.

There are only about 12 T hangers on the field. There are several dozen
more powered aircraft - all left outside all year. THEY don't look like
the L-33.

Tony V.

BTW: at a nearby airport (KASH) where I fly the Skylane that I own a
(small) piece out of, T hangars are renting for $600/month.

Tony Verhulst wrote:

I fail to see why anyone would leave a glider rigged - outdoors,
particularly in the Northern winter. This is what hangars were
invented for.


The airport (3B3) is privately owned and we do not have a lease. We are
"tennants at will" and could be "asked" to leave at any time. A
permanent structure at our expense is out of the question.

I suppose the caption is that it will look like what you treat it like.


There are only about 12 T hangers on the field. There are several dozen
more powered aircraft - all left outside all year. THEY don't look like
the L-33.

Tony V.

BTW: at a nearby airport (KASH) where I fly the Skylane that I own a
(small) piece out of, T hangars are renting for $600/month.

Hi Tony

My point is not how expensive hangarage is - It costs a lot here too. It is just
the proportion that sounds wrong to me.

Sterling Massachusets has 49 Properties listed on Realtor.com. They start at
$250K+ for a decent house and end in the $690K+ for a mansion. Surely the folk
who live here can afford to put up a hangar? A Canadian operation has a canvas
roofed hangar that handles Ontario weather. Presumably this does not count as a
permanent structure, so you can take it with you if you move.

Around here a hangar costs about the same as a 30+ year old first generation
glass single seater. We get a 19m Kestrel and a 15m Std Cirrus into one. The
difference in maintenance alone makes it worth it. OK we get a lot of sun, and
hail, and the local population would steal or destroy it if we left it out so we
have LOTS of motivation to put it in a nice steel shed...

Sterling Massachusets has 49 Properties listed on Realtor.com. They
start at $250K+ for a decent house and end in the $690K+ for a mansion.
Surely the folk who live here can afford to put up a hangar?

Being able to afford one and being willing to build one appear to be 2
different things - at least that's my cut at it. The town would love to
have the property to build a school or something. The airport is close
to a major reservoir and we're talking septic tanks and so there would
be an environmental problem. In any case, the property owner is unlikely
to spend money on a new hangar.


A Canadian
operation has a canvas roofed hangar that handles Ontario weather.
Presumably this does not count as a permanent structure, so you can take
it with you if you move.

Yes, we're looking into this.

Thanks for the info.

Tony

Our L33 was hangared and paint began coming off almost immediately. It came
off in sheets. If the aluminum was treated with anything before painting,
it was ineffective.
To Blanik America's credit, they did pay a significant amount of the
repainting expense.

Brent

"Bruce Greeff" wrote in message
...
Tony Verhulst wrote:
Tony Verhulst wrote:



Does the paint last?


In a word, "no". Ours looks awful. I'll see it I can get a pic this
weekend.


Here are the L-33 pics. This glider has spent a lot of time outdoors -
but, so have the Cessnas and Pipers a few yards away and THEY don't look
like this. We have a painted L-23 that doesn't look so hot either.
Cessna, Piper, and others have figured out how to paint aluminum. LET,
apparently, has not.

Tony V

http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2165.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2166.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~tony.verhul...c/DSCN2167.JPG

I fail to see why anyone would leave a glider rigged - outdoors,
particularly in
the Northern winter. This is what hangars were invented for.

LET L13s that I have seen all appear to have shabby paint - even when
kept, as
we do, inside hangars except when flying... Never seen a L23 or 33 in the
metal.

I suppose the caption is that it will look like what you treat it like.