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Magic VF3 building thread

Old 07-23-2008, 09:07 PM
  #76  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Pics of finished plane and inside pictures from the NATS.
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Old 07-23-2008, 09:08 PM
  #77  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Plane weighted in at 10 lbs 2 oz, including the ignition engine.

Cheers!

Don
Old 07-23-2008, 09:39 PM
  #78  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Beautiful airplane Don. Paint and monokote?
Greg Grigsby
Old 07-24-2008, 06:35 PM
  #79  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Thanks Greg,

Covering is Ultracote, and paint on the fuselage from the front of the wing forward.

It flew pretty well overall and I'm glad I built it.

If you look closely at the pictures, the rudder servo tray is removable, and the wing nuts that hold the wings in place. A safety- backup system are two small balsa blocks that are velcro tied to the front bulkhead. These will keep the wingnuts from going any more than a quarter turn in the event the loosen.

Ryan McLachlan was setting up his plane next to us this morning and we timed assembly of the Magic- it took 1 minute and 45 seconds from car to carry. No tools needed to assemble.

Don
Old 07-29-2008, 11:24 AM
  #80  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread


ORIGINAL: Don Szczur

Plane weighted in at 10 lbs 2 oz, including the ignition engine.

Cheers!

Don

Very nice plane.... whats the ignition engine?
Old 08-02-2008, 09:00 AM
  #81  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

YS 170 DZ CDI. The engine has several parts internal that allow it to be run with an ignition- sensor, spark plug- and several modified components to allow low oil running.

All the best,
Don
Old 08-04-2008, 12:27 PM
  #82  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

ohhh, i get it now, the ignition part, ve just never heard of one on glow engines

thanks
Old 11-25-2008, 12:26 AM
  #83  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Great Thread, I bought one of these months ago. I had many questions that the CD mike sent does not answer. After many E-mails and no response from him it just set on the shelf. After viewing and reading your great thread some of my questions were answered and I have begun to build the fuse. Thanks again and Mike really needs to send a much more complete CD / Plan with this kit. For the price he charges there really should be more Plans/ Instructions it really would help some of us out here that may not be so familure with the Pattern Plane set up.
Old 11-25-2008, 12:52 AM
  #84  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Mike gets really busy. If you saw how much Email he gets daily you'd understand why he didn't answer you. Did you check out the Black Magic VF-3 build thread that Dean Funk started? You can ask questions there too.

John Pavlick
Team Black Magic, Tech-Aero Designs
Old 11-25-2008, 09:54 PM
  #85  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Is there any ppictures or details for the rear wheel mount/ type /size for this bird?
Old 11-27-2008, 11:46 AM
  #86  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread


ORIGINAL: frequent flyer

Great Thread, I bought one of these months ago. I had many questions that the CD mike sent does not answer. After many E-mails and no response from him it just set on the shelf. After viewing and reading your great thread some of my questions were answered and I have begun to build the fuse. Thanks again and Mike really needs to send a much more complete CD / Plan with this kit. For the price he charges there really should be more Plans/ Instructions it really would help some of us out here that may not be so familure with the Pattern Plane set up.
ok I'll briefly touch on this.

Every answer you could ever need is out there already, the CD gives you enough basic information. The nature of a pattern plane is that everyone has thier own way of doing practically everything, which is why a lot of areas aren't touched on. 99% of the time, it just doesn't matter. For a specific answer, you have to ask a specific question, and of the ones you've asked, you got the answer already (so far).

If you ask a question on the VF3 thread here or on my forums, it will be answered. But not necessarily by me and not without a bit of patience.

I'll give you an example of why I may not have answered your email (or pretty much anyone else's recently for that matter): I have spent the last week or so in a funeral home, with my wife's family, etc. yesterday I was carrying a casket containing one of the coolest guys I ever knew. The week before that I spent mostly in bed dealing with a lupus flare. But if you are who I think you are, (all I see here is a monkey that flies a lot?) I DID answer the only email I can remember you sending. And of course, today is Thanksgiving, and it's not really a lot of fun right now. but I'm taking the time to answer this nonetheless while I have a few minutes.

In the shop, I have 6 kits going out by the weekend (one sheeted), 2 planes to paint, one plane to finish framing (for the author of this thread), and one to repair and repaint for one of my good friends/pilots to be ready for him to pick up when he returns to the states second week of Dec. I also have to lay up panels for a new run of kits, go get and cut a full truckload of foam, cut 2 sets of anhedrals for Pavlick there, yadda yadda. And that's just this week...

So yes unfortunately I'm a little busy and I stay this way....constantly. I do what I can but there's only one of me. That's what those threads are for.

As for the price....simple. This plane is 100% made in America. using American prices and American labor. You'd laugh if you knew how little I make off one of these kits. The info on that DVD is volumous but could it be better? Of course. That's what these build threads and my forums are for, to fill in the gaps. It was planned that way from the beginning. It's much more time consuming to write a clear, detailed "how to" than to build 20 of these things. Because no matter how I try, I can't think of everything. but when I hear something new, I make a note of it. Constantly. If I was in this solely for the money, I'd have found another line of work long ago.

On the quick subject of my forums, I noticed you registered there...but not under your real name. Read the sticky at the top of that forum. If I don't know who you are, and I mean without a doubt, I am not letting just any name on my site. Do you have any idea how many spam registrations I get per day? One gets through the cracks, I wake up to a full forum of porn and viagra ads. No thanks. And if a long time ago I could connect your name with that handle, well, my memory isn't tTHAT good.

So please, slow down, do a little research, ask questions, and have a little patience. This is not an ARF, and there are over 100000000 ways to do everything. if you ask, someone will answer. Me if I have time, someone else if I don't, but you'll get every answer you have. I apologize that I don't have more free time, but I just don't right now.

Anyway, you're on the right track, and if you have a question, just ask in the large VF3 thread.

Thanks,
-Mike
Old 11-27-2008, 12:34 PM
  #87  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Mike, FF is Don Carlson. Do I Have to use my name to registar on your site? It logs me in as Frequent Flyer, but is some of the info still hidden?
Old 11-27-2008, 01:19 PM
  #88  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

I thought so, but wasn't sure. I only got one email from you, and I did answer it. That I can find, anyway....

yes there is more that you can't see unless your permissions is set as a VF3 owner. You need a password to access it.

Not really too much more or different than here, but usually the questions are more detailed and specific.

-Mike
Old 12-01-2008, 11:40 PM
  #89  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Standard Du Bro tail wheel mount using the Guerin method. I use a piece of 3/32 wire bent around and then connected to the rudder with a single aileron horn so the wire slides through it freely during steering, and gives some during rudder turns on the ground. I'll see if I can find a picture but its quite simple. The trick is to make sure the tail wheel wire is in line with the hinge line, so the tail wheel will steer in a linear-fashion with respect to rudder deflection.

I will likely have an extensive winter maintenance program to document a few upgrades to the landing gear section (I had been flying off of a very rough runway last month) by using ultra lightweight aluminum angle brackets that tie things together, and a few other required fixes to the fuselage and wing panels. I'm sure you'll enjoy the details...

Cheers,
Don
Old 12-11-2008, 08:52 AM
  #90  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Don - good to see you at the Tangerine. How did you like running the CDI versus the standard 170. My PassPort has the standard 170, though I was thinking to upgrade to CDI when it becomes available. My 170 is on the Budd mount, Budd nose ring, and using the Central Velocity Stack. It think it is running great as a system combination.

On the tailwheel - I use Dubro stuff too. For some reason, $20 + for a tailwheel never seems to make it into my spend plan.

Thanks,
Jim

I already made a new T-Canalizer and will try out this weekend.
Old 12-14-2008, 08:59 AM
  #91  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Simple tailwheel assembly but functional.

CDI has better fuel-mileage. Slower downlines. Easier starting. Best of all no smoke trail.
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Old 12-16-2008, 01:54 AM
  #92  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

I've just got to thank you Don S for the build thread, it answers alot of my build questions that I could not find on the CD or any other threads. I notice you used the NMP header for a straight line up. Unfortunately I had asked mike what to use and he told me to angle the engine and use a different header. I like yours much better. Oh well. Its done now. I think Mike really needs to update his
instructions, correct the errors and add more pictures. At least for those areas that are unique to his design. Again great thread, very helpful.[sm=shades_smile.gif]
Old 12-16-2008, 11:25 PM
  #93  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

What is this? Three guesses.
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Old 12-28-2008, 09:13 AM
  #94  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

well........tell us
Old 01-05-2009, 09:24 PM
  #95  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

The answer is provided already. Look very carefully in the reflection of the rudder in the picture above. Tell me what you see.
Old 01-18-2009, 09:39 AM
  #96  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

[sm=confused_smile.gif]I guess none of know what we see in that reflection. What is it?
Old 01-19-2009, 05:13 AM
  #97  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

i've been looking & can't work it out either.

do tell...
Old 01-25-2009, 04:41 PM
  #98  
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

I'm going with a bead of foam.
Old 01-27-2009, 08:02 PM
  #99  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

Here is a hint.
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Old 01-27-2009, 08:08 PM
  #100  
Don Szczur
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Default RE: Magic VF3 building thread

I got bored thinking about a replacement plane, so I started to glue one of the 275 pieces together. Are you ready for more?
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