LarsL

Magnum RC,

Thank you very much for that great information; it is exactly the type of support one hopes to get on these forums. Can you tell me who Doug is that you refer to in your post?

Lars

flytaildragger

My Feedback: (8)

All you have to do is to go to the beginning of this thread to find out who "Doug" is. He is the electronic inventor of the Lado retracts, he invented the entire mechanism, the casing, everything then messed up in it's marketing by screwing up his customers. He sold Lado to the French and left them holding the bag so to speak. The French engineers improved them a lot and brought new products in expansion. And for a while thru Magnum RC, Magnum RC in unison with the French, brought it back from the brink in the US market. Magnum RC wasn't making any money with them, and the French was losing too much in the export and support so they parted ways.. Magnum RC has some new offerings now if you want to look. Not saying the Lado's aren't good, they are. They are made in France, and they have successfully penetrated the European marketplace. They are popular on jets.

LarsL

Thanks, I have been subscribed to this thread from its inception and it has been going on for so long that I forgot that name.

Joespeeder

Hi flytaildragger,

You captured the Lado story/journey very well !!! We should keep that post as a reference and just point people to it when they ask.

Well done.

Joe

aghost

My Feedback: (13)

I have a pair of Lado's gathering dust. The board on one of them is fried. I bought them from Magnum RC is Sept., 2011. They are the Lado 85 degree(Narrow) Electric Retracts (RS333-85). Both have been drilled out to accept 5/16" struts (maybe 5mm). The pair had about 70 flights on them before the one started giving me trouble.


The good one seems solid and still seems to move OK.


If anyone wants them, send me a pm or email. I'll let them go for a twenty.


Brian

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

I got a hold of Century jet yesterday and am having a set of the actuators sent out to me to install for my Top Flight P-47 gear that are constantly leaking, I will report back to let every one how they are, I also got there controller which allows you to use a second battery with them.

if all goes well I will send a couple of sets off to CJ for a retro fit installation, the P-47 centurion gear is a direct drop in replacement for the air piston, the other gear I have need to be slightly adjusted to fit properly so I will most likely send them in for a free retrofit installation,I have a set for Top Flite FW190,and Top Flite P-40 there actuators were not really that pricey with the controller so if I like the first set I will most likely do the others .

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Does anyone know if our friends in France will be able to repair any retracts that were sold by Magnum?

Just curious...

Bob

Magnum RC

Of course they can if they are willing to. It is just the shipping back and forth that kills you. Contact them, they are very agreeable to work with. They probably will update your unit to latest electronics as well if you have early versions.

acdii

Curious if the Lado can be modified to work with the CJ controller. Their retracts are nothing but a motor. They plug in with just two wires to the controller. The controller does the rest, even senses a stuck gear and stops it. Wondering, can the guts be pulled and a connector wired to the motor?

Magnum RC

Well, the worst thing that can happen for this kind of experimentation is to take out the controller and or the motor and have to buy a new one. Everything in these electric retracts whether it is Lado or Century JET or E-flite and the list goes on, are electrically matched and engineered compatible. It would be an interesting experiement. If you decide to do it, be sure to let us know if you were successful.

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

I actually have a pre Christophe controller from LADO that I can set the stagger and rate for the gear I would be curious i it would work for the CJ's and how similar they are I haven't seen them in the mail yet but there coming across country so it might take a day or 2 to get here as soon as they arrive I will post my thoughts when I spoke to C Jet there looks to be several electric retract options in the pipeline as well that sound pretty interesting.

a note about the LADO gear I have I use a NiCad 4.5v or a 4 cell NiMH battery and they have worked well all of the gear were purchased from Doug so I guess if they do die I will need to send them off to France bummer about Magnum not doing maint or selling these.

acdii

The CJ retracts use a small DC motor with 2 wires off it. Not much different than those you would get in a motorized model car kit. If the motor on the Lado is similar, then I dont see any reason for it not to work with the CJ controller. The CJ controller has a current cutoff so if the motors draw more than a set current it drops power to it. Best way to know for sure is to contact Bruce at CJ.

dawhale

My Feedback: (20)

Christophe, do you still follow this form?

RBean

I ordered new Lado RS333-RB rotation gear. (60 size rotating gear). Arrived in about a month. They are exactly the same size as the original Lado rotators but the trunion appears to be steel and now has a 6mm rod intregal rod. Dropped right in where the old Lados were and all I had to do was drill on the bushing in the struts from 5mm to 6mm. They seem to work fine. No flights for a while with a foot of snow on the ground and another foot forecast. They would be better if they were 100 degree instead of 90, but I built the mount to give a forward rake so they will be ok. Installed in a VQ 60 size P-40.

dawhale

My Feedback: (20)

RBean, when you say you drilled out the struts what brand are you talking about. A couple of months ago I bought two more pairs of 85 degree LADO's and struts. Struts looked to be good quality. Time will tell. They came with the 6mm pins.

I wish LADO would do 100 degree. I would buy two pair tomorrow. For the life of me I can not figure why they wont produce them. Guess they are doing well servicing another market.

RBean

dawhale, I used the same Robart 3/8" struts I had on the original Lado rotators. Before it was a 5mm rod so I just drilled them out to 6mm.

dawhale

My Feedback: (20)

So after drilling out the strut to 6mm their was enough material left for the screw to still hold?

da Rock

I would guess that LADO would offer 100 degree rotators if they could come up with a reliable design. It appears that the rotating mechanism adds enough work to the system to increase the power needed to another level.

It could also be that developing a rotating mechanism that travels the extra amount is beyond their capability. R&D can be costly.

Only they know the answer, and for awhile now they've not been very talkative.

kurrikan

hi somedy know if e flite retracts has a spare parts???

dawhale

My Feedback: (20)

People I have been talking with are saying the Sierra 60 size rotating retract works good. On the down side is they weight #1. Might be a contender If they could put them on a diet.

I do not understand why LADO is the only one to produce a reliable electronic actuator.

dawhale

My Feedback: (20)

#810RSE 100 deg Rotating Electric Retract

http://robart.com/products/810rse-10...ectric-retract


Who is going to be first?

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

I like the FMS brand retracts for there 1700 size Corsair , serves a great purpose in 12lbs and under planes for $69 , i have three sets now in my possession and two in planes

Reini450

You need also the Electric Retracts Control Unit.

http://robart.com/collections/retrac...t-control-unit

Dirk

da Rock

So it's $210 for a pair and another $100 to get them to work.

dawhale

My Feedback: (20)

If they work. $310 is not bad. I know you know this da Rock. LADO's are about $270 - $280 by the time they are shipped from France. Robart's are also 1/2" longer then LADO's. Could make the install problematic, main spar encroachment. I would still like to see LADO produce the 100 degree rotaters. Are you listening Christophe? I would order three sets tomorrow. I think I am a good customer. I need good reliable 100 degree rotaters.

Looks like Sierra is producing a good 100 degree rotater. I would convert them with LADO actuators if they wernt so expensive.