I'm just completing a Royal Staggerwing. As previously posted it is a half kit/half scratch building project. I used Hangar-9 (P-51) mechanical retracts for mains and a Robart retractable tailwheel with a separate standard servo in the tail. The retracts fit perfectly into the wing although the wheel themselves come though the top of the wing into the fuse area where they are not visible. Installed a full interior (very modified Beech Bonanza interior kit) and a Saito .91 up front. Added an on-board glow driver and using individual mini servos for the ailerons.

The fairings were quite simple to do using 3/32 sheeting and a few blocks here and there and yielded a perfect fit with hardly no need of fillers. I too made the tailcone removable and ran the antenna down a length of Nyrod sheath inside the plane all the way to the cone. Windshield is the one supplied with the kit and fits rather nicely after some trimming, but can be made from flat material. Covered in Century 21 fabric overall and matching Monokote for the areas where the full sized had sheet metal. I have a progress pic posted here [link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_1320353/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#1378628[/link] and will add a finished one in about two weeks before the first flight.

In answer to your other question; only the earliest models used fixed gear, all the others had retractable gear. The very later 'G' models had a better strut cover and were faster for it. You might check out this link for a good rundown on the Beech Staggerwing.
[link=http://www.staggerwing.co.uk]STAGGERWING DATA PAGES[/link]


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