Remove the nose weight, it is not needed. I had mine balanced at the recommended CG. I then took off the weight and the plane flew better. The recommeded CG is very conservative. I later added tail weight 3oz.

Please do post the pics!

Here are a couple photos of my Magic Extra 300 with a 80 size Magnum four cycle on it..

Another photo

And another

ok guys, we need pics of your planes in action. Lets see some prop hangs!

I have a 46fx nib thats looking for a home and thought this might fit the bill

I recieved mine the other day and after reading the entire manuel went out to the work shop, only to find my epoxy had gone bad. So the assembly will have to wait till I get my tower order. I will be puting a 46FX, JR 537's, R700, 600mah and a 12x4 in mine. I think this plane will rock!

Changed my mind I found some hitec 425's in the shop I will use these instead of jr. and was thinking of using a mini on the throttle. I guess it depends on how it balances.

Mine is for sale, with a Magnum .52 XLS, a Futaba 6DA, and a voltwatch. Flies great, it's in very good condition, will hover at less then 1/2 throttle, unlimited vertical, fast rolls, lands VERY nice. Beefed up fuse with a little extra balsa, and glue, and has nylon tail wires. These are VERY fun models. And very easy to fly. Even in wind. If you get one, you'll love it!

I'll give you 119.95 plus shipping and handling for it!

This is an assembled model, with a 1 month old Magnum .52 XLS (3 year warranty), Futaba 6DA radio system, voltwatch, upgraded hardware, pilot figure, sullivan tail wheel, and tail wires. I'LL BET YOU WOULD GIVE ME $119.95 FOR IT.......

Go buy the ARF kit if you only want to spend $119.95. Then buy CA, epoxy, GOOD hardware, an engine, a radio system, (you probably don't even know what a voltwatch is) and spend some time assembling it. Then spend more time and fuel breaking in your new engine. THEN.....add up the time and money you have in it. $300 might sound good to you then........

sledman:

OK, you made your point.

How about $125? You pay the shippiing, of course.

Haw.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Bill.

Well, I got mine last week. Flew it 6 times Sunday and 3 times on Labor Day. On the third flight my battery pack went south and I lost the plane. The pack had cycled OK earlier in the week, but it was a 5 or so year old pack. Lesson learned. No matter how they cycle, I will not keep packs past 3 years any longer.

As for the Magic Extra, Mine had a TT46, JR DS811's on everything except rudder where there was a JR 4735. I balanced it a 4.25. No weight added.

It had unlimited vertical and would hold hover at around 70% throttle. I am a complete 3D novice but on Sunday after the first flights I was already managing some 20 second sustained hovers. The light wing loading and control surface authority inspire confidence and allow recovery from all types of stuff without losing much altitude. On low rates it flys like any good sport plane.

It's the most fun I've had in quite some time flying. I will be getting another one ASAP (with a NEW battery pack).

If you get one, spend some money on servos. With the big surfaces strong and fast servos that center well make a difference.

Have you guys all increased your control throws past the manual's recommended "3D" rates? I noticed that I had to do that to really get the plane to get crazy......

I can hang my up roar just fine using 425's. I have only used a high speed servo once and it is on the rudder of my edge. I think it is a Futaba core less. Man it was pricey $100 I think. can't afford that on a 40 size plane.
Sounds like you had a nice set up. least it was an arf and that does'nt hurt as bad when it goes in. I just got mine from Tower $119.95.

Maybe I overkilled the servos, but I had some past experience that changed my thinking on servos. I had a 1/4 Cap 232 setup for 3D throws, I used Hitec 605's. The plane always felt 'loose' and squirrly. Never would seem to hold trim. Then I noticed how the poor centering of the 605's was magnified by the long arms used for 3D throws. I installed Futaba 9202 coreless servos all around and BAM, what a difference.

There is nothing wrong with 425's or 605's. They are great servos for the price. I just think differently on high deflection surfaces now.

BTW: That 4735 is 90 oz/in and 0.15 sec on 4.8. You CAN and WILL notice a monster like that on rudder when it tries to fall over in a hover.

Two things:

1- The reccomended CG of 3 to 3-3/4 inches is Ultra Conservative. I started flying mine at 4.25 and I still needed more. You will see this theme echoed in most of the Magic Extra posts on RCU.

2- 3D throws, ALL YOU CAN GET. Forget the manual, go for +-45 degrees.

I think it was a 9202 I had put on the rudder of the edge. Yea I did notice a difference. I have a Cap with 605's in it it flies nice and is a very fast plane. I don't try to hang this one as I like to keep up air speed seens I snapped the one before it in and wasted it. Ouch $325 poof guess I'm still chicken with it it's a Sig and it is a beautiful plane.
I get my epoxy tomorrow and will build the Magic Extra!!!!

Thanks Jim. My CG is at about 4" and my throws are just about maxed..........but I still can't get this thing to flat spin!

I have my control surfaces set at max on high rates, with -65% expo. It rolls VERY fast!

I have a question about my new Magic extra 300L. I have equipped the plane with the magnum .52 xl engine and standard radio gear. With the battery and receiver as far forward as possible under the hatch in the fuselage, my cg is no where near recommended. It seems that I need to add a lot of nose weight to the plane which I dont want to do. Is it possible to mount the battery further forward without modification? It is a standard 4 cell ni-cad square. Im thinking of upgrading to a 4 cell ni-mh 2700 mah pack, though in a stick configuration. I have read that the recommended cg is too conservitive, but just how far back can I get it and safely fly the plane? I have only read of one person here with the xl-52 in the Extra and would apppreciate his insights on the plane with this particular motor.

brucefly, unless this is your 2nd plane, you'll have NO problems with the CG at 4".

Bruce that is the same problem I ran into.... I ended up with a Magnum 80 four cycle before the CG was right... I flew mine with an OS FX46 and it was awful. You could fly it with the cg way back and tail heavy but it's inverted flight was half stick down to keep it level..

I went through the same things as you I moved every thing I could to the hatch with the fuel tank and still couldn't get close...

You can read some of my messages a little earlier in this forum about this...

The plane fly’s great now that I have an 80 on it... It is way to much engine but it was either that or add like 3 ounces of weight to it... AND I don't like adding weight I would rather add power...

These planes are nice but the radio layout for the CG is terrible if you ask me...

And the cg is right at 4" with the 80 it was like 5 1/2 with a FX 46...

Mine balanced and flew great, with the reciever just in front of the servos, and the battery just in front of that. I had the Magnum .52 XLS for an engine. I DID NOT add any weight, and I think it balanced at about 4-1/4". It was the easiest landing airplane I have ever had, and handled BETTER and easier than a trainer, when on low rates. Don't get hung up on having the CG exactly where the manual states....to say that they are on the conservative side is a gross understatement......

Last weekend I took my Magic Extra to the field and flew it on maiden voyage. found it to be a easy build but replaced hardware with plastic pushrods and metal clevises except for throttle. Balance good at 4". One guy at the field is now buying one, others considering! Rave reviews and NOT due to my piloting skills!

One thing - I did have some interference from somewhere that gave me a scare though it was brief. (We have a Bermuda triangle at the NE end of the field). Could the metal pushrod to the engine cause some wierd electrical interference? Engine is a TT .46 w/ Tower muffler. Hitec shift select receiver and Hitec standard bb servos.
Bill