Reasonably Priced Retractable Main

[nmunn]

I started out with no interest in retracts, but now I want them. But I have yet to find a set that, IMHO, are reasonably priced. I do not understand why certain vendors are getting 5k+ for their mains?

 

Is anyone aware of a reasonably priced solution? I am not cheap and am not willing to buy inferior parts, but 5k seems like a lot for what I have seen.

 

Any thoughts?

[Len Evansic]

I assume you are referring to the infinity gear. It's supply vs. demand. J.D.'s supply can't keep up with the demand at $5,000 per set, so the price will not come down anytime soon. I'd imagine that he'd still have trouble keeping up if the price was increased.

 

While I also wish the price was lower, from what I've seen, the gear is solid and well-constructed. I started with wanting retracts, and have beat myself into accepting the thought of using fixed mains. Times and financial circumstances may change though.

 

-- Len

[Wayne Hicks]

Well, you've already found the one and perhaps only retracts made to retrofit to a canard-type aircraft.

 

(1) Infinity Retracts

 

There are other systems in use:

 

(2) Shirl Dickey retract design -- used on E-Racers and Berkuts

(3) Velocity retract design -- don't know if they would be retrofitted.

[Jon Matcho]

I started out with no interest in retracts, but now I want them.

I started out with every interest in retracts, but now I don't want them.

 

Is anyone aware of a reasonably priced solution?

The only other option on top of what Wayne points out is to pick up a partially completed project. I did see a set of Berkut gear get sold at www.condorsales.com recently, and I recall that they were at least as costly as what Infinity charges.

 

Playing devil's advocate, here are some reasons for NOT wanting retracts:

• Give up some fuel capacity.
• Implications of an EZ gear-up landing are MUCH more substantial now (time to fix and cost to fix).
• More moving parts to break and maintain.
• Increased build time and complexity.
• Imperfect gear door closure creates comparable drag to a well-faired fixed gear.
• All this brain damage for ~14 knots?
• You'll have to get someone to take a picture of your plane mid-air to see how cool they look.

Of course I'm sure to be jealous of anyone doing a fly-by with gear retracted. Check the picture in this post.

 

The best case FOR retracts is at Phillip Johnson's Web site.