Rotax 501 that takes 15 turns of a manual crank in the cockpit to deploy or retract. The fuselage is slightly different, with a slight sweep-back of the wings and the tailplane is larger. The Issoire Company in France produced a 17-metre PIK-30 version of the E. Unlike the PIK 20, the PIK 30 could not be winch-launched or fly with full negative flaps. A PIK-20F had a modified wing profile, reshaped fuselage and a forward opening canopy. The PIK-20s were also notable for being conventionally painted rather than using gel-coat. (The prototype was bright yellow.) This type of finish is longer-lasting and simpler to repair. The name PIK is an acronym for Polyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho, the flying club of the Student Union of Helsinki University of Technology. A fire in the factory June 1977 dented production briefly but by then 200 gliders had been sold. Production continued until about 1985 with the D and E versions with over 400 examples of the type having been completed. Specifications (PIK-20D) References Johnson R, A Flight Test Evaluation of the PIK-20, Soaring, September 1976 Johnson R, A Flight Test Evaluation of a PIK-20 Sailplane - A Further Evaluation, Soaring, July 1978 and August 1978 Johnson R, A Flight Test Evaluation of the PIK-20D, Soaring, January 1979 Thomas F, Fundamentals of Sailplane Design, College Park Press, 1999 Simons M, Segelflugzeuge 1965-2000, Eqip, 2004 Sailplane Directory PIK20 information site 1970s Finnish sailplanes Glider aircraft Motor gliders Aircraft first flown in 1973 Mid-wing aircraft T-tail aircraft PIK aircraft