I recently got a steal on a VQ .46 size mustang but only to find out later that it has no retracts just standard solid gear. I was probably going to put air retracts in it anyways but I was hoping it had the mechanicals just in case I decided to save some money. Has anyone else had this problem? If not, what retracts, air or mechanical do you suggest I use? I'm thinking Robart 605HD for air. That might be overkill. Perhaps 100 series spring airs.

I'll be watching this thread, A few friends and myself will be ordering some VQ mustangs soon, and also wondered about what retracts would fit. I have a set of Dave Brown mach. retracts from another project they didn't fit into, and hoped they could be used. but I'll have to wait and see if I need to order another set for the Dego Red.

Dauntae

i would get spring air retracts - if you get the 100 series be sure to get the 3/16 strut version. but i would get the 700 series spring air retracts and oleo struts to fit them. this would look great and the oleos would help cushion less than perfect landings, plus the 700 series has sockets for the oleos instead of just holes for wires. the sockets make it much easier to install the oleos.

I wouldn't get the 605 robarts- i have had them and they have plastic frames which break easily and this makes these robarts not worth buying. if you get robarts get their version of spring air retracts - they have a 700 series air up spring down which is like the spring air 100 series.

Mechanical retracts need a retract servo which takes a good retract servo, so when you buy this you end up spending about as much as air retracts. so i perfer air retracts. i have used spring air on my mustangs for almost 10 years now - they are the best retracts you can get for the money.

Ed

My buddy has:

http://www.lado-tech.net/products.php?cat=5

Here is my take on retracts...

They are a major PIA. If they didn't look so cool, no one would bother with them. But they DO look cool and they really clean up your airframe. So they are somewhat of a necessary evil.

This being the case, keep them as simple as possible. To me, this means: If you don't have a nose gear, go with mechanical retracts.

You can get a retract servo for about $30 and a set of Mechanicals for under $20. Air retracts will set you back about $120

PLUS - With an air system, the retracts are in the wing and the rest of the stuff is in the fuse. This means that every time you put the wing on and off you have to connect and disconnect the plumbing (And make sure it doesn't get trapped between the wing and fuse). With mechanicals, you only have one extra servo to plug in.

Connect and disconnect is not a big deal. My robarts have quick disconnects in the line and takes two seconds to take care of. I have never had any success with mechanical retracts. I just can't seem to find that "Sweet Spot" where the gear actually locks both up and down. I have heard nothing but good about Lado electric retracts. Only problem there is supply. Small company and they do small batches at a time. If you go to their website and do not find "OUT OF STOCK" on the set you want, order them right away because in a day or so, they will be sol out. I speak from experience here. Mechanicals on my VQ FW 190 kept collapsing on me when I landed. Finally put the fixed gear on. Went to Lado, saw them in stock....thought twice about the cost....mulled it over for a couple of days.....decided, "I NEED THOSE LADO'S"....went back to their website to order....."OUT OF STOCK"........

I agree with you on the PIA, I fly off a rough grass field, but I'm going to build a speed plane using a 62cc gasser so they are probably needed to get to 200mph. Anyone know of a set of retracks that will hold a 15 pound plane and fit in about a 1" thick wing?

Thanks for the comments. I agree with not using the 605 HD's. I think I will go the Spring Air route but will stick to the 100 series. This is a .40 size so I don't need anything larger than 3/16 wire struts and this plane is pretty light. VQ sells struts for this plane for $28.00 so I will go with the 100 series and the VQ struts. I will probably do Lado's for my SIG P-51b that I am building in a few months. I got this VQ mustang at Hobby People for $99 !!! So I can afford to do a few extras.

If anyone has a setup, please post pics whether its a P-51, Dago Red, etc. I want to see em!

if the VQ struts are 3/8 diameter the spring air 700 series is the same as the 100 series except it has sockets to take the oleos directly without grinding flats for set screws etc. much simpler and easier for the same price as the 100 series- at least they were last time i bought a set a year or so ago.

Ed

If anyone needs any pointers on the VQ GEAR just let me know...

I fly what I sell... I use stock VQ GEAR... Work well and no gear collapses!


LADO retracts seem very nice... and yes... you must wait for them... but from everything I have read they are worth the wait if you want some really cool , variable timed , proto-typical retract sequence , etc...

-TOMAS
www.vqwarbirds.com
[email protected]

I would try the mechanicals first. I have not built or flown a VQ model yet but I would agree with Tomas, I don't think he would offer his mechanicals if they we poor units. I fly and have flown a lot of the Kyosho warbirds with the stock mechanical units they come with and have had few if any problems. Mechanicals are not really hard to set up and I can help anyone who needs it. In most cases, mechanicals don't work right because people don't have the proper amount of throw and the retract is not cycling lock to lock. In a 40 size plane you can use a $30 Hitec servo with no issues. I too, like most, prefer the JR servo, but have come to realize I don't have to spend that much money to get the job done.
The cost of mechanicals is less than half of air units. On larger planes I don't think there are many good mechanicals available so air would be the way to go. The Lados, when they become easier to obtain, will be better than air units. I have air units on my Byron P51 and it is a pain either to manually pump them up or haul around the air compressor. If you try the mechanicals and then find you don't like them, let me know, I'll buy your "used" retract servo!

The mechanical retracts in my VQ FW 190 are good retracts......I just have a heck of a time getting them set up. Tomas stands by his products. [link=http://www.vqwarbirds.com]Good man to do business with![/link]Good man to do business with.

Now that I spent my extra monthly allowance on a WACO, I see Lado has the 60-1 retracts in stock. If you want some, order now, they go fast!

Now I am rethinking all of this. I can go with mechanicals for about $60 - 90 or go with air for about $150. This originally started out as a "budget buy" so I guess I should stick to my original plan and go budget. Like I said before, I have a Sig P-51b that I want to do it right and put in good gear.

I just remembered that the SIG came with mechanicals so I can try those first in the VQ and if they don't fit, I will buy the VQ retracts. This will save me some cash! They are 3/16 wire struts so they should have some strength. The Sig is a .60 size plane but should that matter? The retracts are usually similar dimensions right?

They should fit, if not, a little trim is no big deal.....