The flaps are effective, but not neccessary. The first PT landed fine without them, just a little faster. The tires I used on the PT-26 are Sullivan Skylight wheels. The cheap ones with plastic hubs. I cut hubcaps out of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" tub lids and screwed them to the hubs with spare control horn screws. I am using the Robart struts on it. If you plan to use the shock absorbing struts, I suggest you change the mounts. Don't use the bent wire per the kit. It's too flimsy and will flex. I actually bent one back far enough to hit the wing before I remounted the gear. The original yellow finish was Cub Yellow Coverite 21st Century fabric. It lasted 2 years before the seams starting coming loose. I had almost every seam taped with packaging tape when I hit the tree. It's now refinished with Stits Lite fabric and painted with latex paint. I redid it in the Army Air Corps. blue and yellow scheme.