My 13 yr old son has now soloed and is progressing very well in his flying abilities. He's been doing great with his 4*60, but he now wants to get into 3D flying, so I've been thinking about getting him a plane to learn on. I have a UCD .46 w/ Saito .91 on it, as well as a couple of profiles, and I'd like an inexpensive plane for him. After reading a lot of the posts on the Magic Extra, it looks like something that will fit the bill. My question to anyone who has flown both, how does the ME compare to the UCD 46? Would it make a good 3D trainer? How would you compare the quality of these two planes?

I know a SPAD would be cheaper, but he wants something that looks a little more like a real plane.

BTW, I think the UCD .46 would have been fine with a .72 - hovers at 1/4 throttle with the .91.

Thanks for your inputs....

The UCD with .91 is one hot 3Der.

Mine is still running rich and it still pulls it vertical like a rocket. It's hard to hover right now because I can't get the throttle setting right. One click it it falls slightly, another click and it climbs. May need to add some expo to the throttle.... I think the .72 would have been great for it, but I got a really good deal on the .91, and the balance on the UCD was coming out tail heavy anyway...

I have a Magnum .91 FS in mine and the engine on the test stand ran great inverted but on the plane if i roll inverted or point the nose down for a second or two with the throttle low the engine dies . The engine has about twelve tanks of fuel through it now and transitions good .
I was wondering if anyone else had this problem or might have an idea of how to fix it ?

Thanks, Barry

Sounds like a fuel flow problem. Have you checked your clunk line in the tank to make sure it isn't stuck?

I own the Ucando 60 & 46 size along with Modeltech's Magic 3d, Magic Extra, and Simply magic. I have gone through 44 gallons this season flying the heck out of these planes. I would get the Ucando 46 for 3d rather than the magic Extra. While the Magic extra may be able to preform 3d I found the Ucando eaiser to hover, torque roll and preformed 3d maneuvers much smoother than the Extra

Thanks for the info, RichyP. I really didn't like the looks of the Magic Extra, but I figured for the price, I could learn to live with it. But the UCD is only $40 more and, to me, looks so much better. I just might have to pick up another one for the boy. Still trying to decide whether to go that route or just give him my OMP Edge to play with til he gets better. Or maybe even a kit so I can teach him to build, too. Too many choices, not enough money!

joebob,

The clunk rattles around fine but i will take the tank out to see if it has slid back off of the tubing .

Thanks

I would also go with the U Can Do. The 60 size is very popular at our local field and all the people that fly then are very happy with them. I just bought the 46 today and I did some research on how to power the plane. There is a guy here that has the 46 and found the 72 is not enough to pull the plane out of a hover. I am going to put a saito 91 on mine with an APC 15 X 4 prop. I should be able to hover at 1/2 throttle and pull out if I get in trouble. When talk to a few other people there comments to me was "the most important thing in flying this plane is throttle control". This plane is not ment to be a fast plane but a 3D aircraft. I have seen many Magic Extras fly and do not hold a hover or land as slow the UCD. One of the guys at the field can land the plane is about two feet and on grass less than a foot.

Joebob - try a different prop. I also got the recommendation of a three bladed 14 X 6 but try a 15 X 4 first.

bear9236 - I don't think your engine is broke in all the way. You sould have run 1 gallon of fuel though the engine, extremely rich. Then check the gapping of your valves. One of the guys that fly the 46 size said that he had to lower the fuel tank in the fuselage. His plane was doing the same this because the tank was much higher than the carb.

dblatner,

I can attest to the fact that the Saito .91 for the UCD .46 is PLENTY of power. I think mine came in at 5lbs, 12oz, so it's on the light side compared to some others. My .91 is still running rich and it will still climb in a hover under 1/2 throttle. I'll try a few other props to see if I can get the power a little more managable. The APC 14x4 is probably on the small side for this engine, but the LHS didn't have any 15x4s. The only time I get it over 1/2 throttle now is when I want to blast off or am doing waterfalls.

I'd like to see a UCD with a .72 and compare it to the .91.