So after the first 8 flights or so I had an eventful landing when after applying brakes, the model veered off the runway. I later found a severed brake wire and after soldering this back up I added heatshrink to it where the articulation is. I dont have much prior experience with electric brakes so this was a good lesson.

I also have had the spring(s) soften up considerably in the first 20 flights likely due to this severed brake line event. Fortunately Mathias at Paritech and Gotz were able to express mail a set over for the event next week. The main struts do seem fairly soft and I am looking into an alternative compression option for them.

On the note of these Xicoy type electric retracts. I have found it is very important to either have all of the retracts plugged in when you are working on them OR when you do not have all three plugged in allow, an extra amount of time after deployment or retraction for the "lock" that occurs. When all units are plugged in there is an audible and mechanical electric "lock" that occurs when all three motors have amped out at the end of extension or retraction. This normally happens within a few seconds of retraction or extension. When you do not have all of them plugged in the ECU seems to have a delay of 20-30 seconds programmed into it while it "waits" before it does this lock. If for some reason you unplug turn it off before this "lock" you will end up with one or more struts out of sequence when you plug the other unit in. Clear as mud right?