ORIGINAL: edbu1
.................. I understand that Robart used to make some, but no longer available, except through *bay and swap meets. Anybody have any information on the discontinued Robarts rotating retracts?........................
Robart used to manufacture mechanical rotating retracts, part number 102 (a set). I have several sets, and used them with great success. They are actually more robust than the 615s, in that they do not use the easily bent "links", or scissors as some refer to them as. On the down side: they are made for 5/32" dia strut wires, BUT: I have modified mine to use the 3/16" diameter struts. It's fairly easy if you have a drill press: just drill tru the plastic trunions.
I used them in my Hangar 9 Hellcat, and they looked and functioned GREAT. I used 1 servo for each retract, thereby eliminating the bellcracks and long linkages, AND they retracted at a slower, more realistic speed.
ORIGINAL: edbu1
Based on this and other discussion threads, I think I'll go with fixed gear. I love to build warbirds and spend alot of time adding scale details, but sounds like all of the retracts have issues. I refuse to add several hundred dollars to the cost of my project just for retracts, whether they are reliable or not so much. Just not worth the dollars and aggravation, in my opinion.
A LOT depends on your flying skills: if you are able to land an R/C plane in the manner that full scales land (as in: FLAIR, hold it level, let it settle on runway), you are much less likely to encounter retract problems. Frankly: I hate to see a good warbird with fixed gear (unless it is supposed to be that way).