Recommended elevator throw for 48 1)2" wing magician without flaps?

[Matt Curtis]

What is a correct throw for this plane? Will flying it with flaps make it fly way better or not really?

[Dan McEntee]

  If the airplane is straight and balanced correctly, there is no need for anything more than 30 to 35 degrees, and most of that would never get used, but may help you psychologically. Search out threads on the Magician and I think you will find about a 50-50 consensus on whether to install flaps on it airplane or not.  Leaving them off will simplify construction and flight trimming. I have an example of each version of the kit and if I ever get around to building one, I will leave them off. For the average "Joe Bellcrank" it will fly very well for them without flaps. If I would change anything, I would make the stab/elevators thicker, just because 1/8" looks too darn flimsy!!
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

     ( Fixed it!)

[Ken Culbertson]

I had it both ways.  I originally built it w/o flaps then added them later.  I was what today would be a low-end advanced flier and the only difference I saw was in the corners.  Not tighter just better and not really worth the effort.  Control throw per Dan is good but I would not try and get 354.  350 should be enough. 

Ken

Aw, he fixed it.  Now nobody knows what I am talking about, which is most of the time. 

[Ty Marcucci]

Since 1969 I have built and flown 9 Magicians.. On only one did I use movable flaps and it was a disaster.. Not sure what I did wrong, but it made it through 2 flights then BLAM.  I over controlled it.. But then I didn't know what I was doing back then either, so FWIW.

Do as Dan suggests. I know that works. In fact I have three under construction right now  out in my shop and ALL have thicker stabs.

[Dan McEntee]

   When I got started flying stunt in the Beginner class and through Intermediate back in the late 1980's, the Magician was the favorite of a lot of people at that time, but they were usually modified a bit by moving the stabilizer back to the end of the fuselage and I think most used flaps also. This may have made a difference in how the airplane responds to flap inputs. If I were to try flaps, I would probably move the stab back like it was done back then, and I would make the flap throw less than the elevator. But then it wouldn't be a Magician any more!! No longer legal for Classic competition, but still a good sport stunt airplane.
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Steve Helmick]

Unless the Classic rules have changed recently, there's nothing in there that allows anybody to DQ a model (pilot, yes!) for moving the stabilizer back or enlarging the horizontal tail. Throw an aluminum LG on there, too! I wouldn't make the flaps functional unless I did move the stabilizer back. That goes for the elevators, too.  Steve