If you have used DB retracts, please give me some feedback. Thanks

They go up and down.... ok sorry. They are the old Southern Pro and work well. I have used them for years with no real issues.

Ditto what cllaurit said. They work great and replacement parts are availble if you should need them.

They still work great. The nose gear can get loose pretty quickly due to vibration. Check out my Phoenix 7 build on RCGroups to see how I rework the nose gear to last longer. I've never had an issue with the mains.

They were originally marketed by Pro Line in about 1971. Supposedly designed by Ron Chidgey. Southern R/C took them over at some point, then ownership past to Dave Brown when SRC closed. I have used them for decades and had a number of sets. Always worked very reliably, even when worn. Using them in both my Tiger Tail III and H9 Phoenix 7. Tony F has some excellent tips in his write-up mentioned above. Recommend ordering some spares of the small tab that your servo rod/clevis attaches to. These often seem to break in a crash, or if you accidentally extend the gear when the plane is resting in a cradle stand w/ gear up, etc. I've almost always used 2 servos on a trike setup. Always felt the convenience in field assembly was well worth the 1oz weight penalty. Mains may be a bit tall for some wing designs where the gear are near the L.E. I have FAR less gear issues in my P7 (like zero) than my fellow flyers with the electric retracts.

If anyone wants a set I have a set that I would be happy to send out for the cost of postage. I won't use them and hate throwing things out but that's what will eventually happen.

Would love to have them. They will be put to good use here in So Cal.

PM me if that works and I can send you postage.

Doug

I could use them in my new Bootlegger if Doug hasn't snapped them up yet!

Sorry guys, Doxilla hit me with a PM earlier. I didn't realize these were still so popular.

Good Mechanicals are slowly disappearing. No more MK, IM, Supra(that I can find on a regular basis) DB is about it. I am not a fan of the electrics and my experience with Hobbico mechanicals was less than pleasant.
Luckily I have 2 sets of DB, 2 sets of Pro Line, and 6-7 sets of MK and one set of IM gear.

Doug, Tony,

I had to drop Shawn a PM to thank him for a nice model I purchased from him so I inquired about the retracts too. I have never used a set of DB's and am considering using them in a DB build if they work out.

I have to admit that the availability of parts from DB for these mechanicals does make them attractive. A few places far and away are still selling MK units but they are rather expensive and are far away if parts are needed.

Tony, I will follow your tips for the NG unit.

David

Jeff,

I was under the impression that OK, IM and Supra were either re-branded MK units or similar copies. Do the other Japanese units look more stout than the MK units?

David

I found the BD's to be bulletproof with a larger range of travel on each end providing a solid lock than just about any other brand. I preferred the mechanicals.
try here:
http://klasskotemo.com/B%20and%20D%20Retracts.html
but I always swapped the struts for ones I bought from Bob Violett models.
regards,
Dean Pappas

I just picked up an MK Aurora with a set of Supra retracts, as often as I anticipate flying the airplane I imagine the retracts will last forever. Going to try to hit a couple classic events this year then refinish it.

Dean---you are right about the B&Ds, they do have a nice broad locking area that makes setup easy. I forgot all about them. Do they still have the lifetime warranty?

If the servos work, the retracts work! Never had an issue in thousands of flights with DB retracts.

Thanks for all the inputs. Greatly appreciated. I think I'm sold on the DB system for my Tipo. I also plan to use the two servo set up for ease of assembly. Thanks again.

Now that I have tried both methods I can tell you that two servos is the ONLY way to go. I'd also suggest a separate steering servo slaved to your rudder with a mix. Makes trimming the steering a breeze and allows you to turn the servo off when the retract switch is "up."

Setting up the Dave Browns on a single servo plus actuating gear doors on same, was a great deal of fun for me back in the day. Yes it took thought to figure out the geometry but once it was done, it worked exceedingly well for a long time.

Multiple servos is simpler, I agree, but heavier