Kirk:

If it's your first twin, stay with the "Kiddie Kar" wheels. The Duellist can be flown as a tail dragger, but a first twin has enough other things that will be new to you.

If you want to bother with them, mechanical retracts can be installed for little more than pennies until you buy a retract servo, and after the plane is finished every time you connect the linkage to the nose gear you will curse for not having used air retracts. Or you will buy TWO retract servos. Heavier. Weight you don't need.

Tower sells the complete B&D air trike retract kit for about $80, add $30 more for an air pump, and that's just a little more than two retract servos. And a whole lot lighter.

Tim mentioned Dave Platt's second version, the Duellist Mk II. There are several improvements in the Mk II, not the least of which is setting the wing and stab at zero incidence, and the engine thrust line at 0-0-0. These changes are easy to incorporate in the original version if done during construction.

The most obvious difference is the vertical fin and rudder, making the Mk II much better in the knife edge. Attached are pictures of both drawings.

A final note: In spite of the Pica supplied plan crediting Morton Tanger as the designer, he was not. It's Dave Platt's design from start to finish. Even the "Super Duellist 2/60 Mk II" I was involved with last year is still 90% Dave Platt's design.

Bill.

Kit version on the left, Mk II on the right. wr.