Does anybody has any experience with the ZN Madness from Central Hobbies ? How is the quality and 3D flying with this one ? What was your engine choice ? Will I have as much fun as I am having with my Top Cap or other profiles ?
I know there have been other threads in different forums, but any info on this plane from guys in this forum will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Ulf
The Madness is the one that Glen Watson (AMA Advanced Pattern Champ of a couple of years ago) has at ouir field and I believe that Andrea is also flying one.

BTW
John Price has a new one like that and is less expensive as well.

Take care Jim

madness:
superb quality (better to strenghten the stabs with 2mm carbon firbre rods however)
OS 46FX + genesis pipe
weight under 1998gramm

this combo gives a lot of fun.

mec

It is one of the best 3D plane there is. You want to see one fly?

Contact me and we can meet up and go fly this weekend. I will be in Houston all day Saturday. Im going to fly somewhere.

I flew mine last weekend at Scobee, ask anyone there how it flys, they will tell ya.

I have the Madness and it is an excellent 3d machine. As for power I have had an OS 46fx irvine 53, both on apc 12 1/4 x 3 3/4 prop. Now I am running a YS 63 in it. And now I think I have got the point of over powering it. Not from the flying point of veiw but from thr prop size. I don't get enough clearance form the APC 14 x 4W.

Kris

Tony, I guess that Ulf missed it last weekend as he also flys there. I will be there with my Magic and Ulf has a Top Cap.

Why not come on back over and join the bunch of us that go for lunch.

Anybody is welcome to join the group for lunch and we dont do thje burger thing. We go for the Roadhouse Grill, Olive Garden, Yucatan Grill, and Wok Bo just to name a few. We are not adverse to stopping at the snack bar in the shooting range either (The Memphis Bar-B-Q) as they have a good plate. The choice is made by general majority so come folks and join us. We have done a group of 15 in the past but the normal is about five and we will talk about anything of interest at the table.

Any time you are in Houston look up www.bcflyers.com and come on over the only thing you need is an insurance card and all are welcome.

Take care Jim

So, Ulf what was your verdict of the Madness? Does it fall into the "need" catagory? Or did the prop change on you Top Cap make you re-think your need for another plane?

Tony, first of all let me tell you that you are fun to watch flying. Awsome flying skills. Congrats.
I really liked the prop change on my top cap and will keep flying with it. I just moved the CG back a little further on my Top Cap yesterday. Let's see how that works out.
The madness is definetely on my wanted list (maybe towards the end of the year), but another profile (probably the Sledge 540 from Morris) or maybe a Sig SE is first in order to get more practicing with all the 3D stuff. I really will take your advice on cutting the Madness wingtips once I get one.
Hope to see you out there again soon.
Thanks

Ulf or Tony
I have a Madness in the workshop and what was that about cutting the wingtips..? Please explain! Any other suggestions for better performance.

//Mats

Hi Mats,

When I first got the plane, I was highly disappointed in the roll rate and the knife edge of the plane. In fact, I hung it in the shop for a few months.

All the planes that I enjoyed flyn didn't have wingtips on them. So, the following weekend, I brought the plane out and flew it several times and in pure frustration I decided I needed to do something with the plane. You could have bought it from me CHEAP that day. I took an xacto knife and cut the tips off, so the last rib became the wing tip. Took some clear tape and sealed it off. Flew the plane and BAMB!!!!!!! I liked it, I really really liked it. It rolled much better and faster. It did not couple in knife edge near as bad as it did. I just felt it flew much better.

A buddy of mine has a Laser 3D. Built stock and he didn't like it at all. I flew it and thought the same thing. We did the same thing, cut the tips off and life got better.

I know it reduces the wing span a bit, however I have not seen any reduction in flight characteristics in the plane. I can spot land it where ever I want and with some wind do suicide slides and stationary point rolls.

I am running a YS45 and the battery pack behind the rear bulkhead mounted to the floor.

If you are going to just fly the plane around and do rolls and loops and some hovering stuff, the wingtips may not make a difference to you, however if you are unhappy with how it flys, cut the tips off and see how you like it. You could always put them back on if unhappy.

Where can you get a Madness from other than Central Hobbies? Central Hobbies is out of stock, won't be getting any for another couple of months. That's what they told me.

Wade

Don't know either ? I asked them too, and they told me the same thing. I just ordered today a Graupner Showflyer from Hobby Lobby. Looks pretty similar, but slightly larger (.60 size). It is supposed to be a very nice plane. We'll see. Will post updates in a different thread about this plane. Will probably be flying it with a YS 91 !

Yeah, I looked at the Showflyer but I have a YS 63 that I'd like to put in the Madness. Vaughn at Central Hobbies told me the plan is for September for the next shipment of the Madness. The Madness should fly 3D great since it's very light weight, has large control surfaces, and being designed by Christophe Paysant La-Rue is an added bonus. I figure the YS 63 will be perfect for it. Now, if I had a YS 91 laying around then I would take a hard look at the Showflyer.

Central Hobbies is the only place and I waited 6 months for it.

HOWEVER, the new Flip 3D is pretty close to a Madness and designed by the same guy, CPLR.

I saw a video of it flyn that Great Planes sent out and it looks like it flies the same and it looks to be the same size.

Almost ordered one today, however ordered a the new GP U-Can-Do-3D. For $180.00 its hard to beat and its a bit larger. I wanted something in that 90 range.

How is the Madness and for that matter the other full bodied light wing loaded designs in the wind??? We frequently have 15-20 mph winds on average around here so would we be significantly handicapped with these lightweight designs? Thanx.

The Madness is great for the wind.

I'm in the Houston area and my club's flyn field is 2 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. We always have wind and 15 is average and often more.

What makes it such a good wind plane is the weight, or lack of it and the ailerons. Over 24" long and 5 1/2" deep at the root. It will ROLL!! I can not give full deflection at full rate on the ground, because the ailerons will slap the ground. I have never measured the defection, however I got it all.

With a breeze you can just hold it stationary and roll it.

With a slight wind you can back it up & do backwards flips and snaps.

With a stiff wind you can stationary point rolls and suicide slides.

AND when is down right BLOWING you can do backwards point rolls and just cruise the plane backwards.

Whenever everyone won't fly because its too windy, you will and put on a show.

Tony: What do you think of that I bought the Graupner Showflyer ? I'll let you know once it is build and ready to fly, so you can come out and test fly it also.

Yea, the Showflyer looks good. Im very curious how it will do.

Lets make a 3D-a-thon at Scobee this weekend.

Sorry Tony, but not possible this weekend. I'll be in Mexico. Let's do it next weekend, and maybe you can show me some tricks.

Do you think that the ys53fz will work for 3d or will it be to weak