Blanik L-13

Like about 300 US Blanik L-13 sailplane owners, I have a ship that will probably never fly again. Just trying to find out what other owners are doing with their hangar queens. I know of one where the owners took it apart, separating the aluminum from the steel for sale to metal recyclers. From what I heard, the time and effort involved put their hourly income at about half of the min. wage level.
Not many museums want one and tad big for a wind vane. realistic ideas?

On Wednesday, February 20, 2013 1:28:29 PM UTC-8, Boise Pilot wrote:
Like about 300 US Blanik L-13 sailplane owners, I have a ship that will probably never fly again. Just trying to find out what other owners are doing with their hangar queens. I know of one where the owners took it apart, separating the aluminum from the steel for sale to metal recyclers. From what I heard, the time and effort involved put their hourly income at about half of the min. wage level.

Not many museums want one and tad big for a wind vane. realistic ideas?

The cockpits would make awesome Condor simulator platforms to promote soaring with the under 24 crowd. once converted, they could be sold to soaring sites for training too. I am a mechanical engineer, so I might be talked into donating some time to this type of project. I live in Menlo Park, CA. I bet most real controls could be hooked up to a gutted joystick...


Anyone else interested?

Matt

Probably the most realistic idea I've heard yet is retrofitting L23
wings to L13s and seeking an STC for the combination. That's probably
a lot more cost-effective, though a lot less fun, than developing new
composite wings for L23.

Thanks, Bob K.

On Wednesday, February 20, 2013 2:44:56 PM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
On Wednesday, February 20, 2013 1:28:29 PM UTC-8, Boise Pilot wrote:

Like about 300 US Blanik L-13 sailplane owners, I have a ship that will probably never fly again. Just trying to find out what other owners are doing with their hangar queens. I know of one where the owners took it apart, separating the aluminum from the steel for sale to metal recyclers. From what I heard, the time and effort involved put their hourly income at about half of the min. wage level.



Not many museums want one and tad big for a wind vane. realistic ideas?



The cockpits would make awesome Condor simulator platforms to promote soaring with the under 24 crowd. once converted, they could be sold to soaring sites for training too. I am a mechanical engineer, so I might be talked into donating some time to this type of project. I live in Menlo Park, CA. I bet most real controls could be hooked up to a gutted joystick...





Anyone else interested?



Matt

I've been campaigning for the flight simulator solution for a long time. I think it's the perfect answer of what to do with old Blaniks. Flight sim "cockpit building" is a developing hobby much like model railroads used to be and a small industry has built up around it supplying things like instruments and force feedback equipment.

On Wednesday, February 20, 2013 2:45:05 PM UTC-7, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
Probably the most realistic idea I've heard yet is retrofitting L23

wings to L13s and seeking an STC for the combination. That's probably

a lot more cost-effective, though a lot less fun, than developing new

composite wings for L23.



Thanks, Bob K.

Not a bad idea but would a "frankenblanik" would be worth as much when finished as it would cost?

Just have to try one to find out. any volunteers? Any dead Blaniks near Menlo Park? I have a long driveway...

How about DYI conversion plans free, or cheap! Laser and CNC router patterns, wiring diagrams, component sourcing, etc. But would it be too weird to fly a blank with the performance of an ASW27b?

Matt

On Feb 20, 2:37*pm, "Matt Herron Jr." wrote:

How about *DYI *conversion plans free, or cheap! *Laser and CNC router patterns,
wiring diagrams, component sourcing, etc.

That sounds like fun! I'll go make some popcorn...

At around 2000hrs. total time: hold on to it and wait for the AD&C mod to be approved by the FAA (like it has been by many other national airworthiness authorities) or sell it very cheaply to someone in a country where it has already been approved.

If it's at more than 3000 or 4000 hours already the flying life given by the mod probably wouldn't be economically feasible given the cost versus remaining flying hours.

If it's at 5000 hours (or more) - scrap it after pulling any good parts off of it (oleo, wheel, instruments, possibly some miscellaneous small parts). 5000 hours is the current maximum authorized total airframe time with no further aerobatics even if you put the $12-15K into carrying out the AD&C mod.

Following the factory's website I don't see much hope for them coming up with an alternate solution anytime soon.

I'd like to see somebody make a small electricity generating windmill from an L-13. Convert lift to rotary motion. I guess you would need two left or two right wings to make it work.

On Feb 20, 6:59*pm, son_of_flubber wrote:
I'd like to see somebody make a small electricity generating windmill from an L-13. *Convert lift to rotary motion. *I guess you would need two left or two right wings to make it work.

Now would you like to hear a really sad story, Here on my local
airport in a hanger is a L-13 with only 28hrs on it and knowing it
will never fly again.