impulse09

My Feedback: (3)

Yes, I did a search.

I have a giant TF P-51 to build, and would prefer to go with electric retracts (less equipment to lug around). I occasionally hear grumblings about Robart's electric offerings. What vendors are producing the most robust electric retracts on the market today?

Is air still the way to go for reliability?

And I know about Sierra, but unless they are responding to email/phone calls these days leave them out.

Thanks yall.

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

I would still use Robarts. There is a relatively easy fix to stabilize them. For the cost and part availability I use them on 3 TF P51's 80 flights since the fix, no gear issues.

impulse09

My Feedback: (3)

Got a link for "the fix"?

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

It's on several of the Mustang treads. The short version is You get an extra set of cam blocks, shave them done to fit in the backside of the retract. This keeps the jack screw assembly from twisting on a less then perfect landing.

nemesis4u

My Feedback: (77)

I'm a Sierra Dealer....Need anything from Sierra just email me... [email protected]

SIX GUNS

nemesis4U , if you are a vender for sierra how come not to many people in the northeren part of the country know that. how long have you been a dealer ?? do you have most of sierras parts or just some


Jim

nemesis4u

My Feedback: (77)

JIM,

I specialize in ESM, VQ, ASM WARBIRDS.... I carry SIERRA GEAR for my line... At customer requests I will get you anything else you need for anything SIERRA MAKES...

I stock the SIERRA GEAR, WHEELS, AIR KITS , AIR GAUGES, etc that fit all the ESM WARBIRDS.... the rest I get as customers need for the TF , ZIROLI etc...

I do this regularly especially for all my international/world customers... Ship stuff worldwide every week... I handle all the communication and get the gear for you from SIERRA for anything he makes that you want and need....

Been dealing with Darrell over 6 years....

Email me if you need anything... [email protected] website: www.vqwarbirds.com

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I have been for many years, and remain, a dyed in the wool fan of pneumatic retracts. I have seen and heard about far too many problems with electric retracts of every brand to give up on air at this point. I love the idea of them, and understand that they are most certainly the wave of the future. But in my opinion they are still in the development stage and are suffering from considerable teething issues. My pneumatic retracts have been trouble free for me and I will stick with them for the time being. As a fanatic for scale I do love the scale retraction and extension speeds offered by electric retracts and that, for me, is about the only serious advantage that they offer. I look forward to the day that they are as reliable and robust as my pneumatic gear mainly for that reason but, for now, I will continue to use air. My .02 cents of course.

rcguy59

My Feedback: (8)

I have 4 sets of Sierra retracts, one set purchased directly from Sierra, the rest from VQ Warbirds. Never had an issue with any of them. IMHO, electric retracts are a solution in search of a problem. Properly installed, air retracts are about as reliable as it gets.

John Taylor

My Feedback: (16)

I have a Ziroli P-51B model with Robart retracts. the plane is 9 years old and the system works on pneumatic with a UP3 valve to sequence the inner gear doors. There are no issues with it holding air pressure. After 9 years. I also have Robarts gear in my F4U and have no issues with the air system in that. It just a matter of taking ones time when assembling the system and making sure there are no kinks or nicks in the lines. I have 2 sets of Sierra gear one in my Sea Fury and one for my Meister P-47 which were converted to electric due to the size of the plane. On the board the work fine. And for the electric I do not for see any issues. had Robarts in my SNJ and converted them to electric. They work great. Hope this info helps. John T.

IFLYBVM2

My Feedback: (360)

What Chad said.......+1

IFLYBVM2

My Feedback: (360)

I think electric will get there one day, but it's still a work in progress in my opinion. Too many bugs, burnt motors or controllers, and overall not yet reliable enough for me. The key to pneumatic retracts is attention to detail and trouble shooting BEFORE you get to the field. A leaky system will NOT fix itself.......

invertmast

My Feedback: (23)

+1. Almost all of the electric retracts have one or more engineering short comings. Until those are addressed, they will never become completely reliable.

rgburrill

Isn't a mechanical retract with a servo an "electric" retract? And you can even get linear gears to put on standard servos. I never understood how the "better brand" (i.e. not Chinese) guys could justify charging so much money.

rgburrill

For that matter isn't a pneumatic retract just a mechanical retract with an air piston operated by an electric servo? Doesn't someone (Robart?) even sell a mechanical retract that you can use with air actuator, linear electric, or regular servo depending on how much money you want to spend?

impulse09

My Feedback: (3)

Ok, electric-air or electric-electric .

I'm picking up what the community is putting down, thanks guys.

rgburrill

Sorry. I have this thing about the super expensive "electric" retracts. There are some inexpensive ones from China but they don't seem to have the variety of sizes. But I just can see paying as much for a linear servo built in with a retract as I would for the plane and motor. A standard retract servo works just as well, if not better, since they have a lot more years on them to make them right.

impulse09

My Feedback: (3)

Are there any large scale retracts that are solely retract servo driven (excluding tail retracts)?

rcmichael

My Feedback: (21)

There are two ways to go for electric. Robart or Down and locked. You can send almost any type of retracts to Down and Locked and they will modify them for electric use. I have switched to electric retracts on all my planes. Trouble shooting is much simpler than pneumatic retracts. Setup is much simpler, and you don't have a dozen or more connections to potentially leak air.

Shaun Evans

Hi,

I dunno. Seems the only pneumatics that have chronic issues are the cheapies from Asia. Air Robarts seem to work fine for me. Y/A air gear have been utterly flawless. Electric gear have just as many issues and, when they do, the end-user can't do much to solve the problem himself.

If air gear are available, I do that way every time.

Chris Nicastro

My Feedback: (3)

In my experience with the bigger Robarts I just use more air volume than normally suggested in any plane.
I have the TF GS Mustang with one large tank and one medium. The system uses 18psi per cycle but I have a lot of volume so the system has great authority. I have cast aluminum scale wheels from Aerotech with rubber tires so these aren't exactly light weight. The stock Robart gear function fine.
I do have the Robart adjustable valve and airline restrictors on both circuits up and down for the mains.

On a TF GS Corsair I have same deal, large tank and medium tank, more than 50 trouble free cycles in flight. That gear rotates and its heavy too.

On the YAC P-38, same deal with a UP3 valve and stock gear, I use one large nose tank and three small imbedded in the wings. A forth small tank is just for brakes.

So for me in addition to a good installation Ive had great luck with more air volume and run the system at 100-120psi.

The few people I know around here that have used electric gear have had nothing but problems.

Another option with todays very high torque and brushless servos would be to use a mechanical servo modification. It would still be cheaper to buy one or two of those servos which are completely and easily programmable than a set of Robart or D&L gear. Use an aluminum servo horn and a strong servo mount and start there.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

I never had issues with air retracts using CJ , Robart and sierra and always useing Robart air support kits/ valves.
However I love electric retracts due to the set and forget ease of set up.
Eletric retracts for 14lbs and under are very reliable and yes from China. You have to live in the electric plane world to know the brands and in fact the great struts that are also available. I just got 145mm struts for $16.00 for a set lol , Robart with aircraft grade steep is $80 each yet my cheapys work great !
Now as far as larger electric retracts, CJ was retrofitting that failed , Robarts has enought bad press on RCU and RCG to scare away Freddy Cruger, ESM gave up after 1, 2, 3 and 3.5 release failed , down and lock was making the gear for Robart sooooooooo in essence I dont see reliable electric retracts for planes over 14lbs .

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

I completely disagree. I have a set of Down and Locked converted Robart Gear. 4 years old never and issue at least 100 flights. When Robart stopped using D&L and did there own conversion, there were some engineering issues. Several RCU members have posted modifications to Robart Top Flite P51 and FW109 gear. After these fixes, I personally have more than 100 flights and 2 TF Mustang. One place I do agree with you is with the HK ans ESM product, just too cheaply made to do the job. Now CJ is doing electric and I am sure that Sierra will follow.

I my case, charging a 3600 life battery for my retracts beat have to carry a sm compressor around and to have to worry about air leaks.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

Well would love for you to prove me wrong , please suggest a 120 size set of rotating retracts from Robart in electric .In the thread i have been it seems to be an Urban legend . Also if you think Sierra will convert to eletric hell will freeze over before that happens.

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

LDM,

You stated:
Now as far as larger electric retracts, CJ was retrofitting that failed , Robarts has enought bad press on RCU and RCG to scare away Freddy Cruger, ESM gave up after 1, 2, 3 and 3.5 release failed , down and lock was making the gear for Robart sooooooooo in essence I dont see reliable electric retracts for planes over 14lbs .

I disagreed with this and stated my case. I don't fly anything under 80" WS. So I have no experience with retracts under 14lbs. if you are looking for "drop in" " never an issue" " no tweaking needed". I don't think any manufacturer can provide that in air of electric in any size.