science

Harakka

Harakka is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Harakka rather than just read about it. In short: The Harakka ("European magpie") was a primary glider produced for pilot training in Finland in the 1940s. Development 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.

Key takeaways

Harakka belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Harakka to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Harakka from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Harakka ("European magpie") was a primary glider produced for pilot training in Finland in the 1940s.

Development 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. 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, becoming a standard piece of equipment in the clubs. In 1946, Raimo Häkkinen and Juhani Heinonen from Polyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho redesigned the Harakka to strengthen it. This improved version became known as the Harakka II or PIK-7. In 1948, a single example of a more radically redesigned version designated Harakka III flew. This had the framework that supported the tail replaced by a single boom. Examples of the Harakka I and Harakka II are preserved at the Suomen ilmailumuseo and the Karhulan ilmailukerho Aviation Museum, with the sole Harakka III also preserved at the latter museum.

Variants Harakka I - initial version (based on Oleg Antonov's Us-4 a.k.a. Antonov A-1) Harakka II - strengthened version (several dozen built) Harakka III - version with redesigned tail (1 built)

Specifications (Harakka II) Data from "Harakka II (H-57)"General characteristics Crew: One pilot Length: 5.72 m (18 ft 9 in) Wingspan: 10.60 m (34 ft 9 in) Height: 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in) Wing area: 15 m2 (161 sq ft) Empty weight: 92 kg (200 lb) Gross weight: 200 kg (440 lb) Performance

Maximum speed: 117 km/h (73 mph, 63 kn) Maximum glide ratio: 10.5:1 Rate of sink: 1.2 m/s (236 ft/min)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Harakka

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Harakka claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Harakka before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Harakka ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Harakka

In research: Harakka appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Harakka in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Harakka is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1940s Finnish sailplanes, Aircraft first flown in 1945, Glider aircraft, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Harakka outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Harakka” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Harakka in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Harakka means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Harakka out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Harakka in simple terms?

The Harakka ("European magpie") was a primary glider produced for pilot training in Finland in the 1940s. Development 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 en…

Why does Harakka matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Harakka?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Harakka.