Thats alright, I,ve got the V2 thats still kicking ass.

That's the spirit [8D]

-M

Wow, there really is A LOT of love here - thanks to all of you who have dropped me a line about helping me out with a pattern ship. Unfortunately it's going to be a while before I can swing the $$$ for a big enough engine for one of these birds, unless something falls out of a tree. I guess I'm gonna have to stick with .40-.60 size pattern ships to start, and maybe get something a bit bigger over the off season.

Really, Thank You. I am looking forward to meeting you guys wherever it happens (New Hampshire?)

!

OK, Here are the final pictures of the "Fire Dragon"

It needs pants.... lol

Looks good mate.

Cheers
Jason.

I'm of the Penton school- we don't wear pants<G>.

G

no pants here either I like the natural look...LOL

gary

NATS group picture-when, where., I'm there.

Immediately following the pilot meeting? Sounds like a plan to me!

-Mike

Make sure everyone has their pants on for the photo.... lol

Cheers
Jason.

I sure wish I could be there. Man a whole flock of Black Magics, that's got to be cool. Well Mike distance and reduce made the difference and I laid some white down today that was really good. I'm finally getting there.

Thanks
Larry

I had a trimming epiphany yesterday!

My new BMV3 just hasn't "felt right" compared with my "old one"- I just couldn't depend on pulls and pushes to stay straight ....Finally had some smooth air yesterday afternoon and I realized that on pulls I was rolling right and on pushes I was rolling left-so I let the right elevator half control horn out one turn from the hinge line (DEPS) and VOILA! No more roll with elevator! I wouldn't have thought that one turn would have made that much difference but it sure make a huge difference in the "feel" for me. I had checked the elevator throws with an inclinometer when I was setting it up, and throws were "equal" to the accuracy of the measuring device.....I think this just shows me that you can only do so much electronically, the fine tuning has to be done by "feel" and flying it.

G

George you're absolutely right. get it close on the bench, then fly the plane and be objective....and picky. Sometimes this plane suckers me into being complacent, but if I stay on top of it and see it through, the end result is VERY rewarding.

My plane that I'm currently flying is the prototype and has elevator servos in the stabs. let me tell you this will be the LAST time I ever put servos in the tail of my own plane. I don't care what I do, after a couple gallons of fuel I have to redo the servos because they don't track right, or the gears get sloppy. Try that horizontal square 8 in masters when your wings roll with elevator.....ARRRGH!!!!!

But take the time and get it set, and it's easy, piece of cake...that manuever is like cheating. You don't know why it's a K5 until you try it with a less than trimmed plane. LOL

So, we're all set loading up and getting ready to roll. We'll be in Muncie Sunday afternoon so see ya there!

-Mike

Good luck Mikey !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Mike...you have a perfectly good orange VF3 with you...that doesn't have that tail problem.. Pull the receiver and go fly....plus it knows the Masters sequence pretty well...

Arch

Hi everyone,

Just want to let everybody know that I am not attending nats this year. It's been a really tough year for my family and myself. We lost our best boy Isaac, our 14 year old Pomeranian, our son and constant companion this past tuesday. My wife Kathy is also dealing with another death in her family. And after the death of my father just 6 weeks ago, we just need some recovery time and I can't just fake it - all this hurts...

So I wish everybody a great and safe Nats. I'll be reading about you all in the funny papers!

I really wished I could see all the new magics fly, I haven't even seen the Fuqua's twins or George's Fire Dragon fly yet....

My new plane is finished and I'll post some pics after nats.

GO TEAM BLACK MAGIC !!!!

Geez Dean nobody should have to go thru that much in such a short time. Take care we will miss you. Hopefully we get to see you later in the year after things settle down. Hang in there Hanglider, Mike Mueller

Dean,

I'm really sorry to hear about your year. Always next year...thats what I keep telling myself also...Hopefully I'll catch up to you this fall sometime,

Arch

Hi all,

I've been getting requests to share pics of my finished plane and since the Nats are well on it's way. Here it is...

YS 160, JR equipment, Finished in PPG and Monokote, current weight is around 10 lbs, 12 oz. but I think I can pull about 3 more oz out of her. I've got the big formeco regulator and some other heavy stuff in the plane.

I haven't flown her yet, my wife and I are still dealing with a number of personal issues. My flying season will hopefully start soon.

I do want to wish everybody good luck on the last couple days at Nats, wish I could of been there.

thanks all...

Very nicely done Dean....

Dean,

Very well done. Not too busy, perfect balance.

Thanks guys....

I am returning home now and man do I need to get a plane in the air. It's been a rough couple months for the family and again thanks for all the condolences.

I am so looking forward to flying and getting into the second half of the season, I miss all my friends and the GOOD times !!!

Congrats to Chris Odom and George Miller - dang I haven't even seen either of those birds fly yet. I haven't seen so many of the planes I helped get into the air fly.

I heard you all had one heck of a "Gathering of Dragons" at Nats - Please send pictures

hope to see everybody on the flightline SOON !!!!

later buds......

Dean you'll be happy to know these pics were on display on the computer in the lobby at Muncie

Wow, all I can say, that was really really cool. There were certainly a lot of Magics there. I have to admit I was sort of tickled, it really re-energized me! And I mean like never before.

I still have no camera (that'll change soon) but hopefully somebody will post up some pics or send some to me, because I was really proud of the the work there.

Right now as I sit here, I am going through the emails, shipping lists, bills, everything, and trying to get back square by the end of the week. had a few glitches since I was mostly gone for about 3 weeks, and I have to spend a lot of time on the phone chasing down this and that. Air compressor took a dive on me so that threw a serious wrench in painting, so it's close to time to get a serious compressor. These 30 gallon floor models ain't cutting it.

Everyone is asking what's new in Black Magic land, and how it's going with me personally. let me tell you fast, I've never been better (except my eyesight). Yeah I had a few bumps in the road, mostly growing pains, and figuring out how to do things without killing myself. That was the hardest part. Well, I found it [8D]

As for new stuff? First I'm not answering any more questions about the 110 until it's done. Soon, and that's the best I can offer. I refuse to estimate again until I know for certain. i will say it's worth the wait. I just want easy, awesome, fast and not too expensive.

I'm playing with some testing on the VF3. After over a year now I have a couple of ideas I want to play with. it took thousands of flights and a lot of extreme set ups to find anything I wanted to improve, but I think I found a couple of things and so I'm testing them. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the plane as it is, but if it can be better, you know how I am....and if I find something really realy cool, I might make a special edition Magic.

And yes I am designing a new plane. But it won't be available until after the nats next year at the earliest unless I just miraculously get a lot of spare time (yeah right). This will be a very "next level" sort of project. I doubt the areodynamics will change much from the VF3 (which is pretty darned solid) but some of the construction may. I am just fine tuning it for the FAI -11 patterns. And no it's not going to be composite and this one has only one wing. A biplane is probably in the future somewhere, but it is a very intense project and a long way off.

So, I usually take a week off after the nats, but not this year. I am really fired up! And I'll post some on the concours when I get the pics. Those who were there, the planes that won were outstanding!!!! Todd Schmidtt won the overall best of show with his own designed fully composite Defiant, and Luis Rodriguez won the craftsman's choice with a fully painted Pentathlon. The trophies were a little more than we usually get in pattern and you should have heard the thunder when they won.....it was.....well, inspiring!

So with that, I'm off to cut some foam and do some sanding and drawing.......

-Mike

That sounds good to me.

Now, everybody stop bothering Mike and let him work!


Mark