LET L-13 'BLANIK'

The LET L-13 Blanik was a Czechoslovak, two-seater, performance training glider with a metal structure in a spine-wing configuration. The prototype flight took place in 1956. Serial production started shortly after, which led to the creation of over 3,000 examples of this glider! The own weight of the L-13 was 292 kilograms. Concept work on the L-13 Blanik glider began in the early 1950s, and the main designer of the new aircraft was Karel Dlouhy. After a series of practical research and development works that lasted from 1953 to 1956, an extremely successful structure was created. The L-13 Blanik was characterized by the simplicity of piloting, solid construction and its resistance to weather conditions, good maneuverability, and was also very easy to use and operate. All these qualities made it extremely popular and was exported to many countries, including Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, West Germany and the USSR. In the course of production, many development versions were created, such as: L-13 AC (version adapted to glider aerobatics) or L-13 Vivat (motor sailplane).