LAK high performance sailplanes

Blanik America, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of LAK sailplanes for the U.S.A.

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Ordering information

Blanik America is pleased to introduce SPORTINË AVIACIJA, also known as "LAK", and their line of products.

Company Profile

Introduction. The Lithuanian aircraft manufacturer Sportinë Aviacija has a thirty-year tradition as a composite aircraft enterprise engaged in a full business process designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing finished products. Most recently, it is supplying excellent and affordable gliders for racing and pleasure flying.

Brand. The acronym LAK, formed from the initials of Lithuanian Aircraft Constructors (abbreviated to LAK in Lithuanian), is Sportinë Aviacija's trade mark of a popular brand of sailplanes fabricated of modern fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Kevlar materials using advanced technology.

Research. Since its set-up in 1969, the LAK factory has been the only experimental aviation laboratory in the former Soviet Union, researching the application of composites in general and military aviation. The generously nurtured lab became the only supplier of sailplanes to the former Soviet paramilitary sports organization DOSAAF.

Manufacturing. For thirty years, the LAK factory produced a large number of racing sailplanes, motor gliders, training sailplanes and trailers exclusively for the state-supported gliding schools and clubs. Nineteen models of sailplanes were designed, built and tested at the LAK factory. Only a handful of the 250 LAK-12 sailplanes have become available to the world market in recent years following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Management and ownership. In 1999, the LAK factory was completely privatized, and a joint-stock company, Sportinë Aviacija, AB, was formed. It is combining the forces of seasoned aviation specialists and professional entrepreneurs.

Facilities

The LAK factory has been designed as a self reliant aviation center for the development and manufacture of aircraft with composite airframes. The LAK factory's facilities include:

Manufacturing area with ample floor space for layup, assembly, component transition and storage, testing and checkout.

Engineering area well equipped with sophisticated experimentation tools and the latest computer aided design methods.

Static and dynamic test laboratory well equipped with hydraulic, ultrasonic and acoustic emission instruments for comprehensive examination of aircraft.

Flight testing station with its own airfield and tow aircraft fleet.

Metal work shop well equipped for production of molds and machine parts.

Certification. The LAK factory complies with JAR21 certification procedures requirements and is capable of the design, development and production of aircraft to the highest industry standards and at a very competitive cost.

Projects

Currently the LAK factory has two major projects keeping their production lines busy: the LAK-17A and the Genesis 2.

The LAK-17A is a proprietary high performance, FAI 15 - 18 meter class sailplane designed and certificated to the JAR22 specifications. More about the LAK-17A in the next chapter.

The Genesis 2 is a high performance, standard class sailplane designed to the JAR22 specifications by the American company Group Genesis, Inc. The LAK factory has completed the development and is producing the Genesis 2 under license.

The Genesis 2 is the first American aircraft contracted out for production in the former Soviet Union.