Guys,
Well im putting a secret out for Falcon 120 owners !!
2 of my good buddies bought the Airpower RA-250 retracts for the Falcon but were disappointed that the supplied 5mm wire LG was so soft, they bend back from even the softest landing (very soft metal). otherwise the 250 retracts are really nice !
So we scratched our heads to try and find them COST EFFECTIVE struts (since cost effectiveness is what the Falcon is all about! and besides, its hard finding Robart struts in stock!) and found this:
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...idProduct=5573
We didnt really know what to expect (cheap Chinese struts) but we bought a couple to play with.
When we got them i noted these might actually be a direct fit for 5mm wire retract bases and non-brake wheels, but since these guys had the Airpower wheels with brakes, and the RA-250 which fit 7/16" struts - we had to adopt them slightly with the help of Shmulik our CNC master friend, and a little work on the mahcine, but the end result is very cheap, and very rewarding !
What we had to do was remove the bottom "horizontal" wheel pin, and make a new "vertical" pin to accept the Airpower 90 degree wheel elbow mount, and on the top remove the 5mm pin, and machine a 7/16" round piece te replace it. not a lot of work if you have a mill.
Im adding pics of the struts, before the mods (first pic), after the mods (second pic), and installed in the Falcon 120. not bad for a 11$ strut !
Overall, with the RA-250 retracts, the HC modified struts and the Airpower wheels with brakes, this is a very nice, extremely cost effective set, which suits the Falcon 120 quite well.
Time will tell if the springs in the struts arent too soft, im not too worried since they could always be replaced easily.