Hello,

I basically learned to do harriers and torque rolls with my Magic.
It has an OS 46 LA and an APC 12.25 X 3.75 prop.
I use ONLY 30% Heli Coolpower fuel.
Standard JR servos in the stock locations throughout the plane.

It will help if you take the time to adjust your thrust line by adding washers until the planes pulls perfectly straight on an upline.

Also, I balance mine so that it requires no down elevator when inverted. Just tape a little weight to the tail to you find the spot you like best. Because of the fuel tank not being able to put on the CG, the plane needs down elevator on landings. This took a while to get used to. Also, it doesn't do good inv. flat spins until you use some fuel out of the tank and the CG starts to move back.

I have not tried spoilerons recently. I tried them before I knew how to hover the Magic and it was of no use to me at the time.
Maybe I should try it again. I say this because I was also very fortunate to get a 40% FC Extra 330S and learned from Andy Kane that putting in the up spoilerons with up elevator makes the plane SINK faster in a elevator. I did not notice any more stability because of it.

I have found that the angle of attack is very critical in getting the Magic to hover/elevator. You also need to have the correct throttle setting. You will find when you get the perfect hover going the fuse will be setting at a consistent angle.

My friend has a Magic But with an OS .46 FX, same prop. It has a ton more power. At first I found it very difficult to get into a hover with his plane. Here, I found I was flying on low rates. Not enough elevator. Make sure you have LOTS of elevator throw with some expo mixed in to soften the center. Lots of elevator throw is the key to get it to sink into the hover.

As far as the throttle position goes. I think it depends on your style of flying. When my friend flies my Magic, he hovers at a pretty steady throttle setting. I personally think this is holding him back a little. I blip and adjust the throttle constantly depending on what the plane needs to do. I learned this from watching Yuri Higuchi. His plane can set in a PERFECT hover and the throttle we be going up and down all the time. It sounds SOOO COOOL!

Here is the key.

PRACTICE !

I would go out every day I could around dusk, because the winds are the lightest then. It took me about a month until I could hover right down in front of me comfortably. This was flying almost everyday.

Be sure to take the time to adjust the trimming of your plane and you WILL notice a difference. Do one thing at a time. Do not make multiple adjustments at one time. It just makes it harder to determine what is really working for you.


Start at about 30 feet of altitude. Fly it there until you feel extremeley comfortable and can recover from ANY position. Then 20 feet. Then 15 feet. I would say try not to let the plane get more than 50' out away from you. Just makes it harder to see.

You will find it is actually easier to hover the closer the plane is to you. But that takes time(practice).

I wrecked numerous times but I have found the Magic to be a pretty resilient plane. It seem to only crack the tail glue joints where it meets the fuse. The wingtips will break where they meet the aileron hinge line. If you hit the wing hard when the wing twists on the wing saddle the side of the aileron smacks into the fuse side and brakes the fuse right behind the wing. Just glue back together and recover! Oh, the landing gear get bent alot, buy two more sets.

I think it is a GREAT plane for learning to hover!

Barry Finck
Grantville, PA