Tony H Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 I have looked online for reviews and tests but have come up with nothing online. Please can anyone tell me there experiences of the Galaxy models "Wizard", I'd like to know what to watch out for when building them and how they fly. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Coleman Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Tony, there was an article on the Galaxy Kits in the 50th Anniversary edition. The subject was not the wizard specifically I think, but the comments therein would apply. Cheers, Hugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony H Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Thanks Hugh I have read the artical in the magazines. I just wondered how well the flew, if the plasic moulded parts can be covered with solarfilm and what their ground control is like (as it only has a tail skid) Also how well do they take off and land and are there any structural weeknesses I should know about before I build one? Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Smalley Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Hi Tony i reviewed the Magician (the slightly larger version than the one you are looking at) and i can tell you all the models in the range fly extremely well they have no vices and are capable of virtually all aeros in my mind it a perfect sports model its a tough cookie as well, the only thing that disappointed me in the long run was the soft wire used for the undercart it just kept bending, easy enough to bend back but enoying enough for me to replace mine already, as for solar-filming the cowl, well i suppose you could but i used the sloarlac paint to match the colour for the film, if you slightly abrade the cowl and then paint it on you get a great long lasting finish an one that will not drive you up the wall like trying to film the cowl, they take of and land quite well the rudder is powerful so if your hamfisted it will zig zag up the strip, i can totally recommend you build one, if you are an in-experienced builder you might get a few grey hairs during the build but it will be totally worth it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony H Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Thanks Lee, I have just had mine delivered. The box isn't very inspiring I thought it was my LCD TV mount turning up in that little brown box, still inside looks plenty good enough to me. I've built a fair few 'Builders Kits" so this does look fairly straight forward to me. The only two other questions I have is, do you think I should change the tail skid to a small tail wheel, is it necessary or is ground control good enough? and do you think my SC25 will be powerfull enough for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Smalley Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 well if you can find a tailwheel small enough i would suggest you fit it i fitted mine with a irvine 46 which is at the top end of the power recommended for the magician and it went like a rat up a drainpipe so i would think you should be ok 36 would make it go like mine but its up to you and you are right the box is inspiring as an england performance these days, but the aircraft is worth it honest ! you can buy optional glass fibre cowl and undercarriage for the magician not sure if you can for the wizard still cyno some glass fibre patches over the holes for the cowl screws (inside obviously) and the abs cowl will last a lot longer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I have also bought the Galaxy Wizard kit but with the intention of making a 'leccy' version. The motor will be an E-Flite 25 if I can replace the rumbly bearings (which, I might add are NOT available as spares from Horizon Hobby) or a Turnigy SK 3548-900 if not. The Wizard differs from the Magician in that the top deck is a one piece plastic molding running from nose to tail instead of the Magician's veneer/foam front cover and balsa rear turtle deck. Might consider doing a build log if there is any interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony H Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 Thanks guys, I have noticed the Wizard only uses a 10SWG or 1/8" undercarriage wire which looks a little weedy to me although it is a small light plane, do you think I should change it to 8SWG? Sparks - do a build log I always like to see how other people get on with there builds, I may also do one. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Hi Tony, 8SWG is big wire but would be a good idea. I raked the legs forward a little on a Magician to stop the odd nose over - my ground handling could be better though! I agree with Lee about the soft wire in the Magician. Adding fairings to the u/c legs is worth it as well. The Magician looks unique in the air thanks to that rearward cockpit arrangement & the Wizard'll look good too. Hi Sparks, The Magician u/c leg mounting arrangement onto the second former put a spanner in the works of an e-conversion I once contemplated. Clearance could not be cut here for the Lipo & the tank bay wasn't quite big enough for a good-sized 4S. The Wizard might have a different u/c mounting but it's worth checking. An electric Magician is on the cards for one sunny day but I'll probably use a glassfibre Acrowot type u/c bolted to a ply plate to enable F2 to be free of u/c impediments. It can then be opened out for battery clearance. A build blog would be interesting - be great to see an IC & a leccy one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowerman Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 If I can mention another magazine without upsetting Mr Ashby. There was an article by Paul Cook on converting the Galaxy Wizard to electric in Q&EFI September 2002. This used a brushed/geared speed 500 motor with 6 or 7 cell NiMh. Performance was apparantly OK. I guess that with brushless and LiPo it wiuld be even better. If you want to PM your address I can send a copy of the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Hi again Tony, Good quality 10SWG piano wire may well be fine. Don't use soft stuff. 8 SWG might actually be getting a tad big & heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Hi Richard, Yes, the Wizard u/c mounting is the same as the Magician. I was going to assemble all the bits together first with masking-to see if I could get correct CofG with the LiPo aft of second former but, knowing my luck, it will probably need to be bang in the middle of the former! If so, I thought I could use a 'torque' rod arrangement with the vertical parts of the u/c running up each the side of the fus. Alternatively the u/c could be mounted off the wing. Mowerman, thanks for the kind offer of the "opposition's" article - I'll PM you with my details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Hi Sparks, I remember seeing a wing mounted u/c in a Magician somewhere & a quick google found this: wing mount u/c The legs look a bit 'rakey' but it should work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Tony, have you looked at your Wizard kit yet? I have done a dry assembly of the major bits and it looks as if the underside of the plastic top deck has been cut off too short. ie if you place the curved formers 13 and 14 on the underside of the deck, there is no overlap to engage in the recesses on the fuselage sides. Looks like a 'phone call to Galaxy on Monday . Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony H Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 Hi Richard, I'm not sure if my plastic top deck is right or not I put the formers 14 and 13 in to see how they fit and my plastc top deck just about meets the bottom of the curve. Have you rang galaxy? what did they say? Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Hi Tony, Yes, I 'phoned Galaxy yesterday and they are sending me a replacement top deck. I hope that the new one will have a bit more meat on it. The picture below shows the problem, the two sides of the top deck (white bit) should extend abt 1/8" beyond the steps in the firewal (item 3) so as to engage in the recesses in each fuselage side. I suppose I could have trimmed the curved part of the firewall (and other formers) to suit but then the front cowling would not be a good fit. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony H Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 Hi Richard, Thanks for the picture and the heads up. I have checked mine and it looks almost as bad as yours. Galaxy models have agreed it's probably a bad batch and are sending me a new one, they have asked for me to send the old old back in the post. I just hope the new one they send will fit well. The plastic top deck looks much longer than the plan to me I guess you have to cut it down. What do you plan on covering your plane with? Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Tony and other budding Wizard buiders. Having not received the replacement top deck yet, I gave Galaxy a call today to see if they had actually despatched it as promised. Apparently there was a 'duff' batch and Galaxy are expecting replacements in early next week. So looks like we will have to be patient. Perhaps not a bad thing as it has given me plenty of thinking time before wielding the modelling knife. Many thanks to 'Mowerman' who sent me a copy of the September 2002 Q&EFI article by Paul Cook. which describes his electrical Wizard conversion. Very useful info regarding sighting of servo's and battery. However, I have decided to plump for a 'torsion-bar' u/c mount to provide a clear run for the battery bay. When I receive the top deck, I'll start a separate build log so as not to hijack/confuse this Galaxy Wizard 0.25 thread. Tony, I plan to take the easy path and cover the Wizard with Solarfilm/Profilm and paint the plastic bits, though it is probably cheaper to cover it with £10 notes having seen the price of the stuff! Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony H Posted November 1, 2010 Author Share Posted November 1, 2010 Richard, Any news from Galaxy about your top deck? I'm still waiting for mine. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Hi Tony, No, no top deck yet. Last Monday (25th) Galaxy said they were expecting the new batch in this week, so hopefully they will be posting to us soon. Have you started build of the rest of the kit yet? Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony H Posted November 1, 2010 Author Share Posted November 1, 2010 No I haven't started it yet, I thought about starting the wings and fin but didn't in the end. I was under the impression I would get the Top Deck before last weekend but now they are saying early this week. Have you started the build yet? If so how is it going? Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Hi Tony, I couldn't resist the lure of the balsa any longer and have assembled the main wings. I did a small mod, inserting a plywood tab just behind the leading edge to provide better support for the wing locating dowel - see below: The cut-out at mid-chord is for the aileron servo wires. I'm going to use two 9g servos for the ailerons instead of a single central servo as it will leave a more space for the battery compartment. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted November 5, 2010 Share Posted November 5, 2010 Hi Tony, The replacement Top Deck arrived from Galaxy today. Plenty of meat on it, so let building commence! I don't want to hijack your thread, so would you prefer me to start a separate build log or are you happy for me post build progress here? I don't intend to cover every detail, just the modifications required for the electric version of the Wizard. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony H Posted November 5, 2010 Author Share Posted November 5, 2010 Hi Richard, I don't mind, I was thinking about doing my own seperate building blog. I would be interested in seeing you build too though. Especially the electric modifications. What motor, battery and ESC do you plan to use for it? My Top Deck arrived too with another 1/8" meat either side, although the mould line looks like it finishes where the original one was cut. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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