The LAK-17 is a

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

n single-seat sailplane that was designed at the Lithuanian Aero Club ( or LAK), and is manufactured by Sportinė Aviacija.

Design and development

The LAK-17 is designed to meet the requirements of the utility category of JAR-22. It is a single-seat mid-wing

sailplane A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring). This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplan ...

of composite construction with a

T-tail A T-tail is an empennage wikt:configuration, configuration in which the tailplane of an aircraft is mounted to the top of the vertical stabilizer, fin. The arrangement looks like the capital letter T, hence the name. The T-tail differs fr ...

and flaps, it has a retractable single-wheel main landing gear and has airbrakes on the upper wing surface. The

airfoil An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is a streamlined body that is capable of generating significantly more Lift (force), lift than Drag (physics), drag. Wings, sails and propeller blades are examples of airfoils. Foil (fl ...

is a combination of the LAP92-130/15, at its roots, and the LAP-92-150/15, at its tips. The LAK-17 holds water ballast in tanks in the wing and fin. The LAK-17A was certified in November 1994 by the Lithuanian Civil Aviation Authority. A new variant with an improved wing was designated the LAK-17B. All variants have a wingspan but a wing with span increased to is available as an option; powered self-sustaining versions are also produced. An optional

front electric sustainer Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * '' The Front'', 1976 film Music *The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...

engine variant was developed for the LAK-17 by Slovenian engineers at LZ Design. It originally had a 0.9 metre propeller, and the latest versions have a 1.0 metre propeller in the nose driven by an electric motor.

Variants

;LAK-17A :Production flapped 15- or 18-metre wingspan sailplane. ;LAK-17AT :Powered self-sustaining sailplane variant of the LAK-17A with a Solo 2350 two-cylinder air-cooled two-stroke retractable engine. ;LAK-17A FES :A LAK-17A with a front electric sustainer. ;LAK-17B :Improved variant with new wing profile and modified geometry. ;LAK-17BT :Powered self-sustaining sailplane variant of the LAK-17B with a Solo 2350 retractable engine. ;LAK-17B FES :A LAK-17B with a front electric sustainer. ;LAK-17C FES :Improved variant with aerodynamic changes as well as a raised undercarriage to provide increased ground clearance for the folding propeller and increased battery capacity for self launching.

Specifications (LAK-17A with 15 metre wingspan)

References

External links

* {{Italian military aircraft 1990s Lithuanian sailplanes Electric aircraft LAK aircraft