ORIGINAL: tmproff
Well I just bought my first set of Spring Air retracts for a GP Partiot XL that I'm building. I'm an experienced builder, but this is my first attempt at putting retracts on a plane. The retracts were used, but looked in great shape. Just by fiddling with them for about 5 mins, I was able to hook everything up and get them to work properly.
ct area1. Is there any important information that I need to know when installing these?
2. Where is the best place to install the air input nozzle on the plane?
3. Would retract covers make that much of a difference on the performance of the plane?
4. What is the best way to "beef" up the retra?
Thanks for your help
-Troy
Mine has Robart, but should be similar.
1. Is there any important information that I need to know when installing these? Watch the axle length on the main gear. This is a thin wing and the axle needs to be cut as short as possible to let the mains retract fully. Put a shim on the nose gear to get the nose higher; otherwise you have a tail high stance and the plane doesn't want to rotate.
2. Where is the best place to install the air input nozzle on the plane? I have mine on the side just behind the wing.
3. Would retract covers make that much of a difference on the performance of the plane? I didn't use any but I did wrap some balsa around a spray paint can and used that for wheelwells. Otherwise, the wing is open and bugs and other foof will get into the wing.
4. What is the best way to "beef" up the retract area? I just followed the plans; other than the wheelwells, it went fairly smoothly. The tubing is a tight fit.
You can see mine on the Jett site in the Hall of Fame. It's the black and gold one. It's a fun plane, but is very nose heavy and a bit of a sled. The flaps and retracts are neat, but I don't fly mine much anymore.