2. I was very afraid to loop the plane at first because my previous attempts to do so with any sheet wing plane (i.e. Flite Streak trainer and similar) always ended up with near crashes-the plane simply refused to complete the maneuver. I wonder why these sheet wing planes I have had do this but the Magician does it effortlessly (and yes, when attempting to loop the flite streak trainer I began the maneuver with the wind I the proper direction). The wings were straight and everything was aligned properly and was using the recommended power plants.
Flat plate airfoils stall at very low angle of attack, and once they stall, the lift available from the wing goes down dramatically. I would be impressed if you managed to successfully loop the Streak trainer. These models are absolutely not intended or expected to be stuntable. Very light similar models can fly recognizable patterns, but are still not very good at it.
3. Is the Magician airfoil the same as the Ringmaster? Sorry for asking but I would like to make sure.
I ordered a Ringmaster (standard size, electric from RSM Distrubution) for the Ringmaster Fly-a-Thon next year.
The next step in my training is to learn the lazy 8. I am taking my time to get confident with each maneuver before moving on.
The airfoil on the Magician is *much better* than the airfoil on the Ringmaster. With a current modern engine with the right prop, you can fly Ringmasters through patterns with some success. With vintage engines, and with absolutely no modifications it takes a high degree of skill to successfully execute even a square loop without problems in the corners . They also stall at the drop of a hat. It was designed at a time when doing a loop or two was still a pretty big deal. It's better than the Streak trainer, but not nearly as good as the Magician.
There are plenty of posts here to suggest problem areas and where you can improve the limitations of the Ringmaster. The most important is to set up the controls for only small amounts of movement, but closely behind that is to *use a good modern engine that spins a 4" pitch prop". Beefing up the areas that need it, and saving weight where safe to do so, are also important.
Brett