Bob,

Thanks for the complete comparison between the two versions. It appears that the manufacturers (or factories) may have changed between the two versions. I heard back from Nitro John and there is no recommendation from the manufacturer for retracts.

I am not sure if a rotating steerable nose retract even exists. If so, it certainly isn't common and not scale on a Cessna Citation. I'll detail the changes when I mount my Spring Air 301 retracts with Robart struts. I'm also adding a Sonic-Tronics (#132) nose gear door after seeing the nice job that Carl Rich did on his Cessna.

To finish up the parts photos, we have a decal sheet and a 10-page glossy manual with clear photos. The manual appears to be for Version 1 and shows using a steerable non-retractable nose wheel. This option, along with the wheels, still comes with Version 2 for those that don't build it with retracts. There is no cutout on the bottom of the fuselage in the manual and the canopy section has been crossed out with pen marks.

Overall, I think what you get for only $200 is a great value and I am excited to finally start this project after a 6 month wait. There are certain pitfalls with these lower cost fiberglass models from China but they can easily be overcome with some experience and skill. I'll be detailing some history on the full-scale plane that the Hero 100 was modeled after and reveal my 5000 watt power system and navigation lights that are visible in sunlight.