RE: Mechanical rotating retracts
"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."
There is a lot of wisdom and solid advice in this statement. Spend the summer doing touch-and-goes with a sport plane with weight added to it until it has the same wing loading as your warbird. Forget 3-point landings and focus on 2-pointers. It will be time well spent. Your retracts will thank you for it!
Respectful regards.