Geneh
I picked up mine at the Airborne warehouse in Livermoore, the owner ( a very nice man ) said that they are not offering them with retracts any more because the need to have the axle of the wheels forward, in line with the wing leading adge. With the retact ones you can bend the forward but then you can't retract them back up.

I have noticed that having the wheels in the forward position gives the model a very stable handeling on the grownd, specially during landings.

The landings on this airplane are incredibly smooth and stable, once it rotates for the three wheel touch down it just continues in that attitude 'till it touches the runway.