Harakka

Harakka
Harakka II glider at Suomen Ilmailumuseo (Finnish Aviation Museum), 2001
Role Primary glider
National origin Finland
First flight February 1945




The Harakka ("European Magpie") was a primary glider produced for pilot training in Finland in the 1940s. Its design was typical of this class of aircraft, a "keel" with a pilot's seat suspended beneath a high, strut-braced monoplane wing, and carrying a conventional empennage at the end of an open framework.[1] First flown in February 1945, the type was built from plans by Finnish gliding clubs and soon replaced earlier primary gliders such as the Grunau 9,[2] becoming a standard piece of equipment in the clubs.[3][1]

In 1946, Raimo Häkkinen and Juhani Heinonen from Polyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho redesigned the Harakka to strengthen it.[4] This improved version became known as the Harakka II or PIK-7.[5][4][6] In 1948, a single example of a more radically redesigned version designated Harakka III flew.[7] This had the framework that supported the tail replaced by a single boom.[7]

Examples of the Harakka I and Harakka II are preserved at the Suomen ilmailumuseo[8] and the Karhulan ilmailukerho Aviation Museum,[1][6] with the sole Harakka III also preserved at the latter museum.[7]

Variants

Specifications (Harakka II)

Data from "Harakka II (H-57)"

General characteristics

Performance


Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Harakka I (H-12)"
  2. ↑ "Grunau 9 ja PIK-7 Harakka, kerhon 1940-50-lukujen alkeiskoulukoneet"
  3. ↑ Hardy 1982, p.74
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "PIK-sarjan lentokoneet"
  5. ↑ Taylor 1989, p.726
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Harakka II (H-57)"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Harakka III/PIK-7 (H-34)"
  8. ↑ "Aircraft on display" [sic]

References

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