RE: Tiger 60 build questions
Richard,
Thanks for the compliment. They fly as good as they look.
The manuals are on the way as of this afternoon.
As far as retracts go, here is my $.02 (opinions will vary)
Mechanicals
Pros: Typically lighter overall, no air leakage or air lines to worry about.
Cons: Sometimes they require a bit of pushrod tweaking, the sevo has to be at the right level for servo arm clearance, you may need a special servo if you are not using a computer radio, and if the gear binds, you can really draw a battery down in a hurry.
Air
Pros: easy to set up (especially the nose wheel), more choices of suppliers.
Cons: Air leaks can result in belly landings, (unless you use the Spring Air type) and the whole set up tends to be a tad heavier.
You can obtain scale like speed with both versions. A variable speed air valve (air) and a servo slower (mechanical) will do the trick.
My personal preference is air, and it has worked well for me. I also live close to Robart, which helps if I need parts or service.
Robart makes the complete setup for your Tiger, and that is what the kit is designed for. You could use other gear, no doubt, but I do not know how much work is required to make it work and I am not aware of any mechanical nose gear on the market. (although I would bet that some one offers it)
I don't think that the plane would look right with the mains up and the nose wheel down.
IMO is lazy typing for "in my opinion" (I type with two fingers)
I fly off grass, and do not have any issues with my nose gear. All three of the Tigers I built used O.S. 61 FX's for power, and there is plenty! It sounds like he may have a weak gear, or the nose is just heavy. Hard to tell from where I am sitting.