PIK-7 Harakka II

Suomalaiset löysivät vuonna 1941 Äänislinnan kaupungista neuvostoliittolaisen purjelentokoulun jäämistön. Sotasaaliiksi otettiin UC-3-liitokone. Kone havaittiin monella tapaa huonoksi, mutta sen keskeisimmät ominaisuudet, keveys ja yksinkertaisuus innoittivat suunnittelemaan Harakka-liitokoneen. Kone osoittautui erinomaiseksi alkeisliitokoneeksi ja niitä rakennettiinkin sodan loputtua 28 kpl.

Tämän parannettu versio oli PIK-7 Harakka II. Sen suunnittelivat lentotekniikan diplomi-insinööreiksi opiskelevat J.Nurmi, Raimo Häkkinen ja Juhani Heinonen.

Harakka-sarjaa jatkettiin vielä yhden mallin, Harakka III:n verran. Niitä valmistui vain yksi kappale.

Tällä sivulla kuvattu liidokki on semi-scale-toteutus Harakka II:sta.

Katso myös valokuvagallerioita.

Lisäksi vilkaise Munaharakkaa jolla saat tuunattua tästä lentävästä kangaspuusta huomattavasti hauskemman näköisen aerodynaamisen ihmeen.

PIK-7 Harakka II

This plane has strange and murky history. It's origins come from World War II. Finnish forces took control of Russian occupied city of Äänislinna. And they noticed that there were an glider pilot school of sorts there. Along with some planes which were called UC-3. They were brought to Finland and put to display at victory fair.

Planes were then examined and found to be inferior in many ways. But.. prior to this Finns had used Grunau 9, Wronan, Hols der Teufel etc. which were quite complicated and heavy. ... One of these UC-3's were tested and strangely enough, found to be good flier, despite of inferior build quality and several shortcomings. This UC-3 brought inspiration of building an similar type primary glider to replace Grunau's etc. Key idea was to make it extremely simple, light and easy to build in aviation clubs around Finland. So... Harakka was designed. Actually, according Jukka Raunio's book PIK-Sarjan lentokoneet (PIK-planes..) they did not even bother to make plans for prototype. Just sort of design as you build.

It must be stressed that despite the inspiration aspect of UC-3 the Harakka and UC-3 were totally different planes.  Key part of ideology was to build glider as light as possible. Empty weight of Harakka was only 92kg, compared to SG-38's 120kg. That leads to all kinds of benefits, like less sweat when you are hauling glider up to hill.  Ok. Now prototype was built, found to be good flier (better than Grunau's & SG's). As this was simple plane approx 28 were built. It was good primary glider at the end of WWII.

War ended and booming aviation clubs needed more primary gliders. And Harakka needed development and some upgrades. Local FAA ordered further development from PIK. Key designers were Juhani Heinonen, J. Nurmi and Raimo Häkkinen. New plane was called Harakka II and given PIK-serial number of 7. Then there was further development with Harakka III, but only one was ever built. All in all 57 Harakka's were built (or started, some were not completed).

See also photo galleries.

Check also Egg-Harakka which allows you to pimp this flying contraption into aerodynamical marvel.