My buddy has one with a os52 it is a delight to fly. He is running an apc 12.25x3.75. It has a ton of power. Hovering should be no problem. It flys at about 3 clicks of idle when you are trying to bring it in. He Had to put 1 oz of lead in the tail to get it to balance at the recommended CG. If you are going to want a 5 to 5.5 CG then you will most likely need 2 or 3 oz in the tail. His planes all up weight is 3lb 15oz. I went to the hobby shop with my scale yesterday and put the 46fx with macs pipe(15.4oz), OS52 4s (15.3oz), OS 32sx with macs pipe (11.6oz) and the Saito 40 (10.6oz) I am going to be trying the new Saito 40 4s (10.6oz). I am going for the lights plane I can get hence the Saito 40. Hope this helps.

Well, I finally did it. I killed my Magic. I had that Webra 40 on an MCP just howlin' and everything was fine....until the impact with the ground, the shearing of the wing-bolts and the rotation of the wing into the 11x4 APC prop swingin' at about 16,000 RPM. Oh well, I've done unspeakable things to that poor plane. I knew when I got it that there was going to be problems. The number printed on the firewall was "13". I had a feeling that this Magic was not Lucky.

Anyhow, I like the Saito idea. I'd like a Saito 56 rather than the 40. The 46 is acutally lighter than the 50 and I'm sure only a few grams heavier than the 40. The 56 comes in at 410 grams which is 35 grams under a lb or about 15.5 ounces with muffler. That is still less then the 46FX and the TT42. My Webra with macs header and MCP was a lb or so. The Saito has much more of a "usable power band". I have a 72 on my Pizazz and that thing is the cat's pajamas.

I see that Hobby People has the Magic for $89 right now. I think I'll take another and put a Saito on it. Anyone need a new Webra 32 or 40?

If you have not crashed your Magic, then you are not flying it the way it was meant to be flown. About 1' off the ground and vertical.....then horizontal......and then face and/or leading edges first, right into mother earth. Well, that's the way I fly it anyhow. Sucks to be me.

I had a 46FX on my Magic and I've seen several fly with the 46FX. I think it flies fine with this engine. The wing loading is still very good with the 46FX. I haven't seen one fly with the 46LA, but I'm sure this engine would fly it fine, especially if the engine was equipped with a properly set mousse can muffler. I think the mousse can would give a nice boost for a little more hovering power. I don't know about the Mac's muffler. Several guys have mentioned the Magic 3D flies great with TT 42GP's, this is a bushing engine like the LA's. I just put the new Webra 35 Aero on mine, haven't flown it yet. I expect it to fly real nice though. The TT 36 Pro would be a great choice. My next project is to put a DA 150 on my Magic, I expect great vertical with this combo!

Wade

I agree, the wing loading with a 46 sized engine is still extreemly low. I had to flip in spoileron to get it to land.

It floats about the same as my 3.1 pound Cougar (Westons version of the magic.)

The last time I checked the TT42 was only around 12.6 oz. Thats much lighter than a 46FX or a Saito 56. Am I missing something?

The TT 42 weighs the same as my Webra 32 which is 9 ounces without muffler, the OS 46fx is 13.2 without muffler.

The weight you mentioned for the TT 42 is probably correct with the stock muffler. The main reason it's as light as my Webra 32 is because it's a bushing engine.

Wade

Wel,l I guess I may have to get out the ol' scales and take a closer look at this. I thought that the TT42 w/muff was a few hairs under a lb. Being a bushing engine I know that it should be lighter than a bb engine. I have no experience at all with the 46FX.

Weight aside, I'm curious what you guys think about that particular combo, becasue there is not a super huge differential between the bb 46's and the Saito 56. I had a heck of a time keeping my web 40 dialed in and the majority of the crashes that I've experienced were becasue of engine issues at the worst possible times. (although I've just now gotten that engine really broke in all the way)

I've found extreme reliability with Saito engines and I just need a general consensus, based on your collective expertise, to find the right Saito for the job. I just think that anything less than the 56 would not give the vertical that I want. THe 56 is heavier though. What's the best trade off. Less weight or more power?

Just weighed my new webra 50, 12.3 OZ without muffler, 15.8 with. Checked it on two calibrated scales at work. Still pretty good. Haven't wound it up yet, but sure sounds like a beast on the test stand. Looks like a good choice to me.

Most 4 stroke fans have stupendous things to say about the YS 63. Its super charged, has built in pump/regulator and still is pretty similar weight to the 46fx. Pretty expensive though, 240$ ?

To be quite honest, a ys63 would be a waste of an engine on this plane. It was made to be cheap, run a cheap engine (la40-46 currently on the superstar/avistar packages), and run cheap hardware (standard servos, etc, also salvagable from a superstar/avistar package) so it would be a good second plane using stuff the pilot had already on hand. Put the ys63 on a plane that deserves it (something that can use that power in knifeedge), not a plane that WILL peel open like a banana when it hits the ground at full throttle (dont ask me how I know that ). As was stated in an earlier post, if you havent smacked your magic, then youre not flying it right


PS, I have a vertical fin/rudder, and horizontal stab/elevator that I can now sell (the banana didnt peel down that far LOLOL), as well as a set of stock landing gaer (never mounted), and a wing that needs some sheeting repair and a new ply wing bolt mount.

Personally i think the TT 46 pro is the best engine for this. Cheap reliable, lots of power, and the extra weight helps get the inertia you need to do some wild waterfall/KE spin arounds.

Sometimes the cheap, reliable, knock around is the best plane possible. Expensive gear can improve performance, but it adds stress.

This is my first fun fly plane. What are you all using for a rx battery? I want to keep it light but I dont want to give up to much flight time.

I use a flat 600 rx pack. I made a shelf above the rudder and elevator servos. Then sat the pack on top. It fits nice and snug against the wing. This with a 46la gives me a cg of 5.5 inches. Thats with no added lead.
chunk

If I do another Magic, I'm going with the Saito 40 and an APC 11-3 prop. I think that would be a really swweeeetttt! combo!

I have a saito 40 waiting for the post man to bring me my magic. I am going all mini metal gear servos, JR 610 micro reciever, and a 720 mah Nimh RX pack (2.3 oz). I am shooting for 3.5 or if I am in God's good graces a smidge lighter. I should have it togeather next weekend and a flight report will follow.

Fishgod: I appreciate the weight report. I'm still unsure about which engine I'll use. Probably the 46fx or the 52fs. I'll save the LA for my first SPAD!

Wade: I caught that DA150 line... I can say it will have awesome vertical! It will also be a fantastic little yellow post hole digger! That DA oughtta' really remove the dirt with the right prop on it!

This will also be my first funfly. Is the recommended CG conservative? Is there a better starting point? Do the tailfeathers need bracing? They look a wee bit wimpy to me, but I'm an idiot, just ask my wife!

I guess the Webra 50 weight on Horizon's site is a little under actual, about an ounce I guess. Still not bad at all for a 50.

Wade

Lazy Pilot,
Yep, the TT 42 is real light. The engine and mousse can combo should weigh no more than about 12 ounces. I'm not sure what the 42 and stock muffler weighs, but I've seen several cases where you'll save a little weight with a mousse can setup over the stock muffler. The mousse can itself will run 1 to 1.5 ounces, depending on what type of can. The header should be 1 ounce. I'd say the stock muffler weighs around 3 ounces or so. The nice thing is getting a performance boost without adding weight. The Ultrathrust muffler will definitely add performance, but those things are pretty heavy. They are built like a tank, they will probably last forever. I don't know anything about the black Mac's mufflers. They look nice.

Youre better off using a mousse can instead of a macs muffler. They can be very very finicky to tune for transition, either running too lean on the low end, or too lean on the top end.


I braced my tail with wires, and I'd say it is a necessity. Look at the area of the vertical fin compared to the rudder. Then look at the small area youre supposed to glue to the fuse. It needs all the help it can get.

I ran a 4 cell 720 nimh battery pack from www.radicalrc.com, and had it stuffed about halfway back between the TE of the wing, and the LE of the tail. I also had about 1/4 oz of lead on the tail that I could take out on reallly windy days.

I had my cg right around 5 1/4" or so from the front of the wing. Any further back, and the tail would squat really bad. I could get fuse length waterfalls using high rates and flaperons, and incredible flat and climbing spins. I'd start out about 4 3/4- 5 inches, depending on your funfly experience.

I run a 6v 1300 mah five cell pack in all my planes. The little extra weight is worth the servo speed and torque.

I had flying wires on the tail of my Magic as well. I took some left over coated cable from a Sullivan pull-pull kit and threaded it through both sides of the horizontal stab as well as through the vert stab. I used about 1/4 in long pieces of Sullivan golden rod (the yellow stuff) as inserts in the holes to keep the cable from tearing through the balsa.

I used thick CA to hold the chunks of golden rod in place. I attached the free ends to the bottom of the tail on the fuse via each screw in one of the landing gear straps. It was hell for strong and nothing flexed.

I have a web 50 that I think I'll try on my next Magic. The 40 was all good but the 50 would really spice things up without additional weight to worry about.

The new magic will have to be after payday next month. I will surely let y'all know how things shake out with the new set up.

anyone got a close up pic of thier rudder in fuse at back?? and some details on how etc?
chris

Wade,
I ordered gear for my MAgic over a month and a half ago. Did you get yours. They will not answer my emails. Does anyone have a phone number?
thanks,
robbie

Why Moose. Go with TNT landing gear for your carbon fiber needs. Get the gear for a Sig Something-Extra. It will work well on your Magic and takes about four (4) days to get it.

Robbie,
I did get mine but it did take a while. He did a very good job on it, looks outstanding! It was worth the wait since I really wasn't in a hurry for it. I have to admit I was wondering if I would get it or not since it took a while.

Wade