Dead eyes

My Feedback: (1)

I have been flying profiles and funflys for several years however I have 1 or 2 questions. Landing them is a breeze and I expect the same with the 300l. I hear the kife edge is good which is something the uproar doesn't do well. (I;m not dishing the uproar as it is my favorite beat around plane to fly). I lost mine recently and being its the middle of flying season I want to fly instead of build. I ordered a Model Tech Magic 300l ARF for now and a Fun 51 kit and a few misc things this morning for a winter project. I may modify the 51, I've had 2 and they are solid cheap planes.
Anyway what do you guys think of the Model Tech Magic 300l ? I had a "Regular Magic" once. I sold it to clear up space in the good old shop (pout house). I am wanting to explore flaperons and speed brakes set up just to play around a little bit. What do you recommend ? Thanks, Steve

sigrun

I'ved owned and operated a Model Tech Magic Extra 300L since Xmas. Whilst 3D style flying isn't my favourite discipline, it's nice to have the Magic available for variety. That said, I freely 'fess up to being a 3D fun flyer rather than a hard core guru or BLING status craving exhibitionist. If 3D fun flying is your proverbial "cup of tea", then you should like, perhaps love the Magic Extra IMO. Appreciating that perspective of beauty is relative to the eye of the beholder, it does look a lot more appealing than the yellow Limbo Dancerish Magic IMO, and flies more conventionally.

In its contrasting colour scheme, its lines make it look absolutely 'magic' in the air. The covering is either Oracover or a very similar strength clone, but the iron on adhesive isn't up to par, and on the trim striping is nothing short of woeful. If you're using synthetic oil in your fuel, you will need to fuel proof the trim and edges of the covering anywhere you're getting exhaust residue or it will begin to lift in double quick time. Although I generally steer clear of fitting power sucking silicon exhaust deflectors, I recommend one for this model, which with a default mounted engine assists greatly in keeping the bulk of exhaust residue off the surfaces.

Re knife edge. It knife edges OK - just - but I wouldn't scream home about it. The rudder and side surface area is a bit on the undersized side for great or easy knife edge, so you need to increase the (small) rudder's throw to max AND enter with quite a bit of power applied in conjunction with the nose yawed significantly up to achieve a stable continuous transit across the entire target sector. The necessary inputs incur a noticable positive coupling which requires a bit of a juggling act counter-balancing with down elevator to track an accurate straight line - or at least it does with mine the way it's configured. I find it difficult with the elevator set to high rates as the model is so responsive to elevator input at the speed/power required, and it really needs to be finessed to offset the coupling forces and track dead straight. Flicking elev to low rates pre entry with a bit of expo dialed in assists greatly here.

Overall, the model is very lightly built, flies and manoeuvres well. Just about everyone strengthens the fore mid-section of the fuselage behind the second bulkhead by their preferred method, which is recommended. I used lightweight glass and epoxy in a strip (effectively a reinforcing longeron ea side) Despite this, many still break their model in half either just in front of the wing or in the first 30% aft of the LE due to too 'heavy' a landing. There's no need for this to occur if you know how to land, and the Magic Extra 300L can be easily harriered and landed like a feather even in zero breeze. But for those whose landing 'technique' has never developed beyond being an "I'm almost outa' fuel so I must" virtual hit or miss high impact arrival, this model is sure to be broken in half sometime in its life.

A typical Schnuerled .46 fitted with an APC 12¼ X 3¾ will provide gobs of power for this model. Typically, smooth application of full power on a windless 30 deg C day will result in a 4-6 foot takeoff run at which point the model can be safely rotated to the vertical and climbed strongly away to the extent of visual range. I'd consider this "unlimited vertical".

It hovers OK, but benefits from the addition of a little tail weight for increased mass at the end of that long moment arm offering a natural pendulum effect.

Do I like it? Yes. Recommend it. Yes, with the centre section fragility caveat. I think I'd always have a Magic Extra 300L or something like it in my hanger for those days when I feel like low 'n slow precision aeros or just hanging' 'n hoverin' about.

Dead eyes

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for your most informative post.

JWilliams

My Feedback: (6)

A buddy of mine had this plane and after flying my profiles he immediately sold it. It is not great at 3D, it is a fun to fly plane and not a fun fly or 3D plane IMO. The arf is decent quality and sturdy, I was not impressed with it but you do what you want.
Best of luck
Jeff.

Dead eyes

My Feedback: (1)

It came in the little brown truck today ! I got a fun-51 to build this winter too ! Gonna have to sleep in the doghouse tonite . lol

sigrun

Woohoo! Here's something to get you assembling! The Magic Extra goes together fast. You can safely use all the supplied hardware including the fuel tank and control rods. Even with a Schnuerled .46. you'll get an safe 20 minutes endurance out of that tiny tank with a 12¼ X 3¾ on and off the throttle when operating within the model's intended flight envelope. IME fuel feed won't present any problem in practice despite the considerable tank/carb height disparity.

Do a search on the Magic Extra on RCU and you'll find some more good reading on it with overwhelming positive endorsement. And you can find a review of it for RCU Magazine including in flight videos by Mike Buzzeo [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=240]here[/link]. It may not be the'' kuuuul' choice of the BLING seeking 3D 'elite', but you'll see it gets the overwhelming thumbs up from a lot of people and it sure is a fun ship to fly. Look forward to seeing a pic of yours and hearing what you think on it's maiden.