Mixmaster,
Good luck on your build. Like I've said before...you'll be pleasantly surprised how well the Velox flys. The KE will astound you. It will waterfall very nice (a good indication that the elevator travel is sufficient). I don't think it will flat spin (no rising FS) as well as the UCD but everything else is better. You'll be hovering this baby down low very quickly.
On the landing gear...I think it is pretty cheap, but it's what I used and am still using. A lot better than the carbon crap found on the Showtime or EF Yak, etc. I pancaked my very hard one time and thought I had destroyed the plane. To my surprise...all the energy was taken up by that landing gear which was now just "flat". I bent it back into place, checked everything out, no damage, and went on flying. I was amazed...so, my advice is to use it. It may be too weak after awhile but not bad for the first 50 or so flights. I must admit though, I don't do harrier landings. They seem hard on equipment to me.
Good luck.
Thanks
Barry
PS: Be sure and add glue to the firewall where all the joints stick through it. Mine came loose there.