[Helijet]

Hi Guys!

Last weekend I had a little issue with my gear doors and retracts that resulted in some minor scrapes to my beloved CARF Tutor. This really pi..ed my off - particularly since its such a fantastic flying aircraft. The air loss / sticky valve got me into research mode on the latest generation retracts. After some research, I discovered 2 major players in the electric retract market. LADO and Down and Locked appear to offer high quality units for our heavier jet landing gear requirements. I had a very pleasant chat with Mitch from Down and Locked and discovered that their claim to fame is conversion of existing units. Sooooo..I have sent a complete set of Behotec C50 gear to them for conversion. I have been promised a 3 week turn around. Once I have the gear back I will post some pics, videos and some comments.

Technology moves on and we have seen it in the radios, turbines and airframes. I look forward to the day that I don't have to worry about airline / pressure failures!

Cheers

Dean W.

[Guest]

Here Here! and some advancements in electronic brakes would be nice too.

[stegl]

There is another one out there called wingspan electric retracts. They will do the changeover or you can do yourself.

[Angus]

I'm not sold on them yet, I have had one retract not come down 5 years ago and that was my fault. other than that my hundreds of flight have been perfect. why change?

a Combination of MAP retracts and Behotec valves and a proper installation, air holds for weeks.

for small electrics...maybe

just my 2 cents

AM

[RC_MAN]

Angus my thunderchiken has electir retracts and brakes

[stegl]

Originally Posted by Angus

I'm not sold on them yet, I have had one retract not come down 5 years ago and that was my fault. other than that my hundreds of flight have been perfect. why change?

a Combination of MAP retracts and Behotec valves and a proper installation, air holds for weeks.

for small electrics...maybe

just my 2 cents

AM

Not just sure what you mean by "small " electrics but have been running electrics now for a bit over a year( on a 12 lb plane) and am very happy with them. Like with anything ; systems can fail even on real aircraft ; hydraulics can fail . At least with electrics it's plug and play , no more air fill ups, leaks, blown lines and many other things as there are many more parts to the system and the more there are the chances are something can go wrong. The way I look at it electrics to air are like 2.4 to 72mhz . Things change. AND that is my nickle .

[LuvEvolution7]

wingspan will sell you the elctric actuators and you just replace the air cylinders in your retracts with the electric actuators. it's about as simple as it gets and you still keep the ruggedness of your existing retracts. if you have gear doors, you can buy a jomar sequencer to actuate your gear doors by servo too. I just bought one off a guy on here for 25 bucks, but they cost about 40 bucks brand new from the factory. the upper end e-tracts have come far enough in technology to replace air retracts IMHO and they are only getting better. I think it's entirely possible that air systems will be a thing of the past in the very near future.

Rich

[Angus]

Originally Posted by RC_MAN

Angus my thunderchiken has electir retracts and brakes

Then I like them

[powerjets]

Agree with Angus, a properly set up air system has a small chance of problems,
Air systems dont have electric issues, electric systems dont have air issues....
Lighter ? I doubt it... would like to see proof of that first.
Before changing retracts, door rams, brakes, secquencers and valves that very sometimes fail I have to see alot of electrics work without any ! problems at all.
Always good to have progress though.

[powerjets]

Oh , ...before FEJ came along , hardly anybody was ever talking about air retracts not working properly...
You just bought air retracts and they worked for years !