This log is of my second Magic 2 build, the model is developed and produced by Salahi Tezel, I built this one at the 'all round' weight. I find the design of the kit is very well thought out and well-engineered, but the one thing it lacks is a set of instructions. Instead, you have to go to the Magic 2 Facebook page, where some photographs and building tips can be found. I hope this build log, in conjunction with the FB page, will help others in the future. As always, some things can be done in different ways so what I do is not necessarily the best way! The wooden parts, being laser cut, are extremely accurate, some of which are delicate and require care when removing from the sprue. In much of the build I use thin cyano but also used PVA for wooden parts that needed laminating together, and 2 part epoxy on the wing bolt tubes and nuts mounting plates. The kit contains a hardware pack, and a polythene sheet to cover the plan. The full-size plan is very good, I cut the plan into sections, so each section could be built individual on my bench. I do not use the supplied pushrods for the rudder and elevator but instead, use pull string/spring. I am aware that some will have never used this system before, it is cheap and easy to do and I will explain that section in detail.
Here we go:
Jump to:-
Unboxing
Centre Wing Panel
Outer Wings
Horizontal Stab
Fin & Rudder
Fuselage
Boom
Final jobs ( wrapping spar ends, wing Incidence pegs, Spoiler springs )
Covering
Pull Strings
A piece of sandpaper bonded to plywood is provided.
Hardware pack.
Polythene sheet to cover plan and a nice decal.
Boom, carbon spars, carbon leading edges and push rod tubes.
CENTRE WING PANEL:
Spars when offered up to plan are too long and need to be cut down. I wrap masking tape before cutting on a band saw, I find this not only helps mark where to cut but also prevents carbon from splitting.
The carbon joiners and adaptors need sanding to fit properly. I find it best to do all this before building so that you don't get carbon dust all over the nice balsa wood. Tip - For anyone not used to working with carbon, the dust is hazardous to breathe in, so recommend wearing a mask and hoovering up dust (don't blow!). The blue masking tape is holding down the polythene sheet over the plan.
Taking parts out of the sprue. There are small places where the cutting is paused, a careful flexing of the sheet generally allows the part to pop out, If any are a bit difficult then I cut with a scalpel.
Note that these plywood parts are numbered. They may all look very much the same, but they are not, so need to make sure that when assembled the placement of the numbered parts match the plan.
Slide all ribs onto the carbon spar and layover plan. I use 10 mm sq key steel as weights. I then used thin cyano to glue all ribs BUT NOT THE END ONES YET to spar (one drop of thin cyano on each joint is plenty.
The centre ribs were laminated together by painting surfaces with PVA before glueing to spar.
These are needed later on and go underneath the ends of the spoiler frames. The outer ones will need sanding a bit thinner to fit between end braces and spoiler frames.
I set the end ribs at 5-degree angles using a 3d-printed jig. It doesn't have to be exact, and a cardboard or balsa jig could also be used. I then use thin cyano to glue end ribs and ply braces in place.
All weighted down and glued.
Trailing edges were pre-assembled (Sorry forgot to take a photo!) but essentially lay them flat upside down and cyano all the gussets in place. By doing it this way, it ensures the top surface is completely flat. Then offer up to ribs, making sure everything fits well and then apply cyano. Spoiler frames can also now go in place and cyano.
Carbon leading edge next. Note there is a gap in front of the centre ribs. I hold in place and add one drop of cyano on each contact point with the rib, starting in the middle and working out. I then with a razor saw cut the leading edge overhang flush with the outer rib.
There's a balsa plate that goes in between ribs to support the pull string tube for the spoiler. I cyano plate in, sand flush and then cyano tube in place. I then cut the tube flush to the surface with a razor saw.
Finished job
There are 2 balsa pieces to fill the gap. Position so that when the top and bottom sheeting is added it can all be sanded flush and the cyano in place.
Prepare bolts and aluminium tubes. In my case, a needle file was needed to de-bur where the tubes had been factory cut.
This next step needs care to get accurate. Offer up the top ply plates and mark out to drill holes in centre ribs for the tubes. Note that it's only the bolts that go through the ply plates, and they should not be opened up for the tubes. I found it best to drill holes very slightly oversize, so I could adjust to get perfectly in place. It's essential to line everything up over the plan. I use some 15 minutes setting 2 part epoxy to glue tubes in, which gives enough working time.
Front tube length is the depth of the ribs, so I assembled with nut and bolt and then lined up over plan
The rear tube is longer, so the bolt is just sitting in there to make sure everything stays in line.
Leave now for the epoxy to be fully set.
Front tube in place.
And rear tube. Note the step-up in the base of the rib.
The rear tube now has to be cut flush to the higher step.
Top sheeting can now go on, cyano from inside and then run the drill through tube and sheeting.
Top sheeting in place.
Spoiler pull string tubes need to go in place and bottom sacrificial feet on ribs removed to allow bottom sheeting to go in place.
Before bottom sheeting can go on, sacrificial feet on ribs have to be removed and sanded flush.
File some slots in sheeting for tubes and I coated centre rib with PVA as there is no access when in place. Can use cyano on the edge of sheeting to the outer ribs.
In place and I made a mistake! At the rear of the sheeting on the edge ribs, I sanded too low after the removal of the foot. The picture shows some extra pieces glued back on, ready to sand down properly.
Front pull string tubes will be too long on my set-up and will not allow enough room between linkage and servo arm, so I cut back to around 22 mm.
My mistake is fixed.
I'm happy now!
I decided to use magnets on the spoilers to keep securely closed but after some trial and error realized that a magnet directly to a metal strip was too strong a strength, so I spaced out with a piece of 1.5 mm balsa scrap from the sprue. One of the metal strips from the hardware pack is cut in two and then used cyano to glue to balsa pieces.
To get an accurate hole for the magnet, I made a 3d-printed jig and used a 3d-printed router attachment for the Dremel.
Spoiler placed in the jig.
Hole for magnet routed.
Remove from the jig and perfect hole.
Push magnet in place and a drop of thin cyano to secure.
Glue in the spaced metal strip under the spoiler frame.
Job done.
OUTER WINGS:
Intermediate panel - Make up trailing edge, the same method as before, offer spar up to plan, mark out and cut to length, and then dry-fit ribs on to spar. Weigh down and glue, BUT NOT END RIBS YET.
Slide the larger carbon angled joiner into the spar and then slide into the spar of the centre panel, it fits because I sanded earlier. Clamp end ribs together (remember setting centre wing end rib to 5 degrees). Carefully, then glue the end rib in place, making sure that the two ribs are not bonded together. I chose to tack with thicker cyano and glue properly after removing, but another method is to jig up the 2 ribs with some scrap pieces of balsa in between to keep them apart before glueing.
Outer panels - Connect the outer spars, no need to cut anything, just slide in and out to get the correct length. I chose to overhang the tip rib by about 5 mm to help locate the tip later on.
Remove the 6 tip pieces from the sprue, 3 to make up each tip.
Note the way the grain of the wood goes. Layer up with W2 in between W1 and W3. I painted PVA on the surfaces.
Weigh down whilst glue sets.
Makeup trailing edge as before.
Slide ribs onto spars and fit trailing edge and cyano everything other than as before the end ribs. Then slide the smaller angled wing joiner into spar ends and cyano up, this time the ribs are glued together. Glue on the leading edge for intermediate panel and trim end.
For the tip rib, I cyano only leading and trailing edges and not to the carbon spar yet. This is to make sure that it is completely flat to bond to the balsa tip. I drill a small hole in the tip to locate the spar.
These doublers can go in place.
When glueing the leading edge of the tip panel, starting at the root and working out. I then trim flush with a razor saw.
Tips can be bonded on now. Make sure they are correctly orientated.
I dapple with PVA,
Then paint with a slightly wet paintbrush.
Set up to tip rib and make sure it is aligned with trailing edge and cyano tack in place. I now cyano tip rib to spar.
All done and left to cure. Then there needs to be some sanding.
Top sanded to profile.
Underside needs some camber blended in to match tip rib.
To help keep its shape, It is best to build with the frame still in sprue. Note that the elevator is still partially connected to the stab. Leave connected until everything is built and sanded.
I cut the sprue sheet where the line is marked.
The 3x1 flat carbon spar is offered up and marked, so it can be cut to length.
This ply piece has a routed slot on one side. It is important to orientate so that this is built to be the underside.
And this is the top.
I slot the spar in place and build all the pieces in the frame with the number markings on the top. So the ply piece with the slot has a slot to the board and flat face up. The reason why this might be important is because of which side of the boom, the elevator horn ends up.
Weights on so it's all flat and cyano.
Sometimes some cyano leaks to polythene, a scraper helps pop it off.
Removed frame from sprue ready to sand.
I sand a rounded leading edge and whilst the elevator is still connected I sand both sides so the trailing edge is down to about 1.5mm. I know some like to sand down to a knife-edge but to me, I think there is little if any benefit in performance gain, but more reward in strength.
The elevator is then cut from stab and I sand a leading-edge bevel ready for a taped top hinge.
Like the horizontal stab, best to build with the frame in sprue. Starting with fin, dry fit all the balsa pieces.
Weights on and glue.
Remove from the sprue and prepare carbon pegs and tubes. The pegs may require a little sanding, they want to be a firm fit but can still pull apart.
When happy glue the tubes in place.
Cut off overhang with a razor saw.
Finished ready for sanding.
Rudder built the same way with frame in sprue. Pieces dry fitted and then cyano in place.
Remove from the sprue and all done.
Like the elevator, I sand the trailing edge down to about 1.5mm and bevel the leading edge for a taped side hinge on the right.
There are quite a few bits so best to sort them out and understand what goes where.
I did a few sub-assemblies. I laminated the plywood tow hook doublers together using PVA and spread about with a wet paintbrush.
Weighted down on to fuselage base with piano wire pins keeping it in line. The wider end of doublers faces the nose.
This part is a jig and does not need to be cut out. It is used later on in the boom assembly.
It is best to make sure these parts slide over the boom before they are assembled.
To accommodate my chosen servos I had to open the holes in the servo tray very slightly. Again, any adjustments are best done now before assembly.
Thin cyano to glue the nuts in place. The thickness of the smaller nut is not as much as the ply plate so it makes sense to have one edge flush. When glueing to the doubler plate have the flush face towards the doubler. I also pop the magnet into the plate shown and secure it with thin cyano.
I use 2 part epoxy to glue these together using the bolts and clamps whilst the glue sets.
The balsa pieces can go into the base and be glued with thin cyano.
A dry fit to make sure I'm happy with where all the parts go.
Top longerons go in place on the fuselage sides, they overhang the front and that's fine, don't cut. Also, don't glue the formers yet, they are in place dry to get the position of the longeron correct. I know it's obvious but make sure there's a left and a right side!
Bottom longerons have to be cut where shown so they can go either side of the former, they can then be glued in place. Again formers are only fitted dry to get positions correct.
Can now assemble bottom, sides, formers, and trays. I held each section together by hand went round the joints with thin cyano.
A top view with everything glued.
The longerons overhanging the front former were now cut back flush with a razor saw and finished with a light sanding.
Job done.
I now glued in the wing seat doublers with PVA. The wing nut assembly has to be put in place but leave to float around in the slots, do not glue!
Wing seat doublers In place.
This piece gets glued in place flush with the top but I tack and leave sticking up a bit. I forgot to mention the nose pieces were laminated together with PVA and then glued to the front former.
Top sheeting now gets glued to the inner piece and pushed down flush for final glueing.
I glue the piece with a magnet in and assemble the canopy (sorry don't have a photo but it should be obvious.
Can bolt the wing in place now and work on the ply fairing.
The fairing is sanded so that it's a neat fit over the wing leading edge. Can then be glued in place sitting flush to the rear edge of the canopy.
I sanded the nose to profile.
And I keep the balsa dust. Mixed with PVA it makes a very good gap filler.
I now tack glue the wing mounting plates with PVA.
Bolt-on wing and leave to cure. Once the PVA is set the wing can be removed and I finish glueing the plates with thin cyano and then apply small fillets around the edges of 2 part epoxy.
And then I install the servos.
Firstly I offered up and cut to length the carbon pegs for the fin.
Note that the bottom side of the boom has smaller holes than the top. I didn't open them up but instead sanded a blunt chamfer so the pegs sat in the hole nicely.
With fin pushed on put still with a gap runny cyano can be applied to the pegs without fear of bonding fin to the boom.
Job done.
Next, I prepared the horizontal stab pylon. Don't lose the small carbon rod taped to the ply parts.
My parts were not fully cut through so carefully finished with the scalpel from the underside.
Put the bolts from the hardware pack through the base of the jig.
The pylon parts are assembled upside down, noting that the nuts are orientated so the flats are against the sides. I tacked nuts and sides with a thicker cyano. I was worried thin cyano might leak through and bond pylon to the jig.
Removed the pylon, installed the small carbon peg and finished the whole assembly with thin cyano.
Pylon can now be bolted to the stab to test fit.
I'm happy.
Next, I dry fit pylon to boom. Do not glue yet!
I used the scrap sprue to clean out factory cut slots.
I also dry fit the ply plates for the fin.
I slide the fin onto pegs but leave a gap to the boom and clamp the ply sides. I then used thin cyano to bond ply sides to boom.
To set up the pylon I used a plumb line to get fin vertical and a spirit level to get stab horizontal. I find it easier than using set squares.
When I'm happy I cyano the pylon to the boom.
I remove fin and stab and the work on the slots for linkage tubes. I know from my first build where the best place is. The picture shows where I marked out the slot for the rudder tube.
The slot was marked at a slight angle.
For the elevator, I marked out the slot just in front of the centre pylon leg. If it was further back it would foul on it.
I drill a hole at each end of the slot.
And finish with a needle file.
The slot has been opened up.
Test fit push rod tube.
And the slot finished for the rudder pushrod tube.
Before glueing in place I chamfered the ends of the tubes and installed the steel pushrods so that tube would have a nice straight line inside the boom.
The Elevator tube is done.
Rudder tube is done.
The tubes are sticking out of the other end of the boom and will need to be cut to length. I know from my first built where to cut for my installation.
My favourite tool for cutting tubes. Some builders would now put the steel pushrods back into the tubes and use rare earth magnets on the outside to hold the tube to the inside edge of the boom whilst dribbling thin cyano down the tubes to bond in place. I did this on my first build but am not doing it on this one, it's not necessary with a spring/pull string system.
The boom can now be slid into the 2 rear formers of the fuselage, threading the tubes as shown.
Tubes should be glued where the cutouts are in the former.
I forgot to take a picture here but with the centre wing bolted to the fuselage and the fin and stab installed on the boom, the boom can be rotated to get stab and wing exactly in line. When happy boom can be bonded to the formers and sides with thin cyano. The top fairing can now go in place.
And the bottom one.
I left a slight edge on the top fairing so the wing trailing edge will but up against it.
And then sanded to shape.
Some would sand further down than me but I prefer to leave some strength. There are some gaps to fill.
PVA mixed with the dust from sanding balsa makes an excellent filling paste.
Gap filling complete.
Some kevlar string is supplied on a bobbin in the hardware pack. This is to bind the spar ends to prevent any splitting.
Firstly I cut it in half.
Then I did some maths to split the 950 mm lengths of strings into sections that would have roughly equal wraps on each diameter of the spar.
A fine tip marker pen works well for marking out.
I clamp the string and apply small drop of cyano.
Then start wrapping and when there is a small amount left I apply thin cyano again.
The final bit I hold with pliers and apply cyano.
That's one done, seven more to go!
Then the locating pegs when wings are slotted together.
I assemble and use thick cyano to tack. Got to be careful;l not to glue the 2 halves together.
Pull string for the spoilers has to be cut in half.
Then threaded through the tubes and ribs.
That's one thread up.
The spoilers use torsion springs to help close them. The photo shows what's supplied in the kit. I tweaked them so legs and bends were equal and did not use the supplied tubes.
Instead, I use a small bore heat shrink. I place it on the leg of the spring and shrink it down. I then have an exact size tube. I will use this same technique later on the rudder/elevator pull/spring set-up.
Springs adjusted and my new tubes are ready.
I clamp the tube in place on the rib and the most angle possible and then cyano in place.
I then weight down the other end onto the spoiler and cyano in place. Have to be careful to use small amounts so you don't glue the spoiler to the frame or the spring in the tube.
That's how it looks.
I remove the spoiler and run a small drop of cyano down the remaining tube so the spring doesn't fall out and be lost.
Tools of choice. Cover Grip is excellent stuff, I paint on carbon leading-edge, the underside of ribs, the rib ends, and anywhere where there will be a small contact for the film to come apart, such as trailing edges and spoiler frames. I chose to use Oracover on the fuselage and Oralight on all the wing surfaces. The instructions that come with the film are very good and don't need to be repeated here.
Fuselage covered.
To help open the canopy I use a small piece of tape with the end doubled back on itself to make a tab.
Stab ready for hinging.
I cut 4X 10mm strips of 25mm tape.
Fold elevator back on itself and apply tape strips.
Tape strips are folded over so both surfaces are stuck together making sure tape is well stuck to the inside hinge line.
Opened up.
And then Put an overlength strip of tape on the top and then trim tape back at the ends.
Trim the tape off flush.
Finished hinge. I then did the same process to hinge the rudder.
Pull Strings:
For the spoiler string, not all the supplied aluminium crimps were the correct length so I also used some 1mm fishing tackle crimps.
I crimp the spoiler wires onto the servo hook first. I also used a small dap of epoxy so there was no gap in the bent loop part of the hook. This eliminates any risk of the wires sliding out of the loop - It did in my first build!
Hook now put on servo arm ready to set the spoiler ends up.
Spoilers have been top hinged with tape. I then thread string through spoiler horns but do not crimp yet.
I then operate the servo and adjust the string so both spoilers open and close identically, I crimp one, check again and then crimp the other and trim off excess wire.
Final result.
Now for the elevator and rudder springs. I make these out of guitar string.
I cut two pieces at 83mm lengths and then bend 10mm legs at the angles shown. This makes two springs at 63mm in length. Note the different orientations of the legs.
The spring nearest rudder is the one used.
I now make 10mm length tubes out of small-bore heat shrink.
I slide the tube on to spring leg and shrink down.
Four tubes are ready to install.
I drill a hole for the tube in the rudder in the place as shown.
I push the tube into the hole, place the spring so I can mark out where to drill the next hole for the fin.
And there we are.
To glue the tubes in place I pierce a small hole with the guitar wire and drop runny cyano in which will wick into the wood around the tubes.
Finally a small [piece of tape to make sure spring does not pop out.
I install the elevator spring in this position.
Note that this hole is drilled through the carbon spar. I'm not worried about weakening it as the tube is glued around it. Using the spring to push the tube in places helps.
Spring installed and a small piece of tape to make sure it never pops out.
Finished job.
For the strings, I first make up two key rings from the guitar string wire. This is so I can remove the fin and stab if ever needed.
Keyring placed on the elevator horn.
Keyting on the rudder horn.
I use pike trace wire with crimps for the strings and use some heat shrink to cover the crimps.
Thread trace wire from the tail end down the fuselage.
Then I make up the crimped joint on the servo horn.
Once crimped I will slide the heat shrink over the joint and shrink down to make it neat.
With the horn on the servo, I power up with the servo tester and centre the horn.
I then set the control surface neutral and crimp the string. I use a steel ruler as a protection from heat when shrinking the heat shrink.
Finished job.
Still stickers to go on but ready to maiden.
