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PiK 20E and 30

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key

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Sep 16, 2010, 3:10:18 PM9/16/10
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Does anyone out there have experience with the PiK20E and/or PiK30?
What can you tell me about their performance as a sailplane and about
the reliability of the engine?

thanks!

Key

vaughn

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Sep 16, 2010, 3:38:18 PM9/16/10
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"key" <rkeydi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:9baac920-3307-4f55...@k30g2000vbn.googlegroups.com...

> Does anyone out there have experience with the PiK20E and/or PiK30?
> What can you tell me about their performance as a sailplane and about
> the reliability of the engine?

Never flown either, but we once had several 20E's in the area. They are a
beautiful and basically reliable glider. They have a known issue with propeller
separations, which hopefully is resolved by now. A Google search on "PIK 20E
propeller separation" will net you various documents like this one:
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/dft_avsafety_pdf_500048.pdf

Vaughn


David Smith

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Sep 16, 2010, 4:54:16 PM9/16/10
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Performance is typical of a 1980s glass glider and will do a 38-1 or so
glide providing the flying surfaces are in good order. It is a heavy
glider so do not expect good soaring in weak conditions.
I have heard that the engine is no longer supported by Rotax, PIK are no
longer trading so I would want to know where and how engine maintenence is
achieved.
All the 2 stroke sailplane engines are suspect reliability even modern
ones, you have to expect it not to start - Pick a field.
One of our club members has a DG800 and the engine seized on takeoff
luckily he was only at 50ft and landed straight ahead.
So an engine will get you home most times but expect the unexpected.

Eric Greenwell

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Sep 16, 2010, 10:49:31 PM9/16/10
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A good resource is the Auxiliary-powered Sailplane Association
(motorglider.org). You can order a copy of Pete William's "Self-Launch!"
from them ("Publications" link), which has several pages of info on the
PIK, and many other motorgliders. The "Links and Newsgroups" page has a
link to a PIK 20 group. The ASA user's group may be able to answer of
your questions if you don't get what you need here.

You can download "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" from
the ASA site, or get it from the link under my signature.

Take a look a the site, and consider joining.

--

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (netto to net to email me)

- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz

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