The Magic has four fixed fins, four movable fins directly behind the fixed fins, and four notched fins on the tail. As the canards move to guide the missile to the target, small vortices generated by the canards impart roll moments on the tail fins, which can slow the roll attempted by the missile, or even roll reversal. To prevent interfering moments from the tail, the fins are mounted on bearings allowing the tail fins to spin freely. This is in contrast with the AIM-9, which makes use of "rollerons," which are slipstream driven gyros mounted on the tail fins which stabilize the missile in three axes, and have no fixed fin "
canards" forward of the moving fins. Its diameter is larger than the Sidewinder's, which is 5 inches (127 mm) and a legacy of the US Navy's five-inch rocket, from which the AIM-9 is derived; the larger diameter simplified engineering. It has a Romeo
solid-fuel engine, and can engage the target independently from the firing aircraft with its all-aspect cooled
infrared homing system. The homing system utilizes sulfur lead granting it a high sensitivity and immunity to noise, or thermal clutter. The missile can attain track through information transmitted (prior to launch) by the aircraft's radar system, helmet mounted target designation system, optoelectronic sighting system, or through merely being pointed at the target and then being uncaged (allowing the seeker head to move freely on the gimbal onboard the missile). It utilizes a silver-zinc battery to power its electronics. The missile features a 13kg pre-fragmented controlled splinter warhead which makes up 14.6% of the missile's total weight, and uses a proximity fuse for detonation. The warhead is armed 1.8 seconds after launch, making its minimum WEZ (Weapon Employment Zone) 0.3 kilometers (0.18 miles). It utilizes a Richard single-stage butylene
solid-propellant rocket for propulsion, propelling it to speeds up to Mach 3 for the Magic 1, and Mach 2 for the Magic 2. The missile can be outfitted on any aircraft capable of firing the
AIM-9 Sidewinder. If the missile misses, it self-destructs after 26 seconds. While the missile was satisfactory as a dogfight missile in the 1980s, it is outdated by today's standards. The Magic 2 replaced the AD3601 seeker head by the all-aspect AD3633, allowing all-aspect capability (the Magic 1 can only be fired from the rear on the target). The Magic 1 has a transparent dome on its nose, while the Magic 2 is opaque. The Magic 2 also had a reduced amount of time required for the weapon to be prepared for launch. The seeker head has a gimbal limit of 30 degrees, meaning that it can track targets up to 30 degrees off of its boresight. Once launched, the R.550 Magic 1 is capable of withstanding 35g's, and the Magic 2 capable of 50g's. ==Operators==