Mini LAK

Does anyone have any experience, knowledge or opinion on the headwind penetration capabilities of the Mini-LAK without the FES. The manufacture advertises a 45/1 L/D with very light 13.5 meter wings. Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

On Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 11:25:19 AM UTC+11, wrote:
Does anyone have any experience, knowledge or opinion on the headwind penetration capabilities of the Mini-LAK without the FES. The manufacture advertises a 45/1 L/D with very light 13.5 meter wings. Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

I believe the polar is available on the brochure. TAS - HEAD-WING equals ground speed, same as any other glider.

sunnuntai 18. helmikuuta 2018 2.25.19 UTC+2 kirjoitti:
Does anyone have any experience, knowledge or opinion on the headwind penetration capabilities of the Mini-LAK without the FES. The manufacture advertises a 45/1 L/D with very light 13.5 meter wings. Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

45/1? The best 15m gliders can barely touch that figure (talking about real world, not brochures), taking 10% off span does not exactly help. Germans have given MiniLAK same handicap as LS4, which does not contradict things I have heard about performance. But why would anyone fly this wihtout FES? At 35 kg/m2 wingloading "penetration capability" is about same as with paper bag.

A mini LAK with FES will be flying quite a bit higher than 35 kg/m^2. In Hungary all the Mini LAKS flew without FES and we're at the (silly) 35 kg/m^2 limit.

Check out the flight traces for the first day of the 2nd 13.5m WGC. the first turnpoint was directly in to the wind probably about 75km. Wind was at least 20 knots. The Mini LAKs made it. Thise of us in Silents did not.

There was another similar day about Day 8 or so, where the task was a double out and return along a strong NW wind. You can evaluate from the traces how the MiniLAKs handled it. I couldn't write make the last turnpoint into the wind and had to use the motor before the downwind run home.

My assessment from actual (brief) side by side in flight experience is that the miniLAK can work into the wind just fine.

On Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 11:24:06 PM UTC-8, krasw wrote:
sunnuntai 18. helmikuuta 2018 2.25.19 UTC+2 kirjoitti:
Does anyone have any experience, knowledge or opinion on the headwind penetration capabilities of the Mini-LAK without the FES. The manufacture advertises a 45/1 L/D with very light 13.5 meter wings. Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

45/1? The best 15m gliders can barely touch that figure (talking about real world, not brochures), taking 10% off span does not exactly help. Germans have given MiniLAK same handicap as LS4, which does not contradict things I have heard about performance. But why would anyone fly this wihtout FES? At 35 kg/m2 wingloading "penetration capability" is about same as with paper bag.


It doesn't seem right at first, but when you look at the ship it's not a 15m ship with the wings clipped to 13.5, it's a 90% scale model of one!