sig magnum ?

how does this compare to whats out there,i saw one fly last fall and it looked pretty good,are there any pitfalls i should look for?,my next project will be the magnum or a profile cardinal,i have both kits.i have some flight time but consider my self still a rookie.i enjoy building almost as much as flying and do a pretty good job of it.i know the planes are apples and oranges,just need a shove down one road or the other.thanks for your help......jerry

Both planes are good designs and worth building.

The Cardinal Profile is one of the better performing profiles available. It's sized right to fly well with a good .40 sized engine. It's even better with a ST.46 if you have one available.

The Magnum often winds up building a bit on the heavier side. A .40 sized engine is often not enough. If you have that ST 46, a .51, or .60, or equivilant, you will have a good performer.

So perhaps you might want to consider which engines you might have available. If a suitable engine is not a problem, why not build them both, that way you will have two great flying planes.

>how does this compare to whats
>out there,i saw one fly
>last fall and it looked
>pretty good,are there any pitfalls
>i should look for?,my next
>project will be the magnum
>or a profile cardinal,i have
>both kits.

Either will do fine. I would point out that Todd Lee seemed to do OK with his modified Magnum, beating your's truly and a host of others to finish second. It was somewhat modified structurally and cosmetically, but I think it was close to stock aerodynamically.

I have a profile Cardinal/ST G-21 .46 & it flys very well. (I have a Magnum too, but it's an 8 pound Behemoth-on-Floats so there's no comparison.) If you're still hitting the ground occasionally the profile fuse/built up wing Cardinal might be easier to fix.
Nils

Pitfalls to watch out for building a Magnum!

1. Use the lighest wood possible for planking the wing, and do it with care so that it will be as light as possible!

2. If you use the wing mounted landing gear, definitely use gear rib clips glued into the foam leading edge!

3. Do not cut down on flap area unless you can build it weighing less than 54 ounces (unlikely)!

4. You may be able to extend the tailwheel wire slightly and still have enough prop clearance. Makes landings a little easier.

5. When joining the wings/stab use fiberglass on the seams then overlap silkspan across the center sections (helps strengthen the joint considerably.

6. Do whatever it takes to keep the weight under 57 ounces and you will have a good flying plane!