Electrifying a set of Robart Mechanical retracts...

[tomapowa]

A few years back, I started a project of electrifying a set of large Robart retracts. These retracts were developed for my A6M5 Zero project. I originally had the Robarts installed with air system and all, but ran into issues with leaks and it was just a pain to pump them up everytime I fly. Back then there was only one real developer of electric retracts... they were Lado Technologies. I had spoken to Doug (the owner) and hoped to get into a business venture with him, as I had developed a "better" electric retract so I thought. Before we could get anything off the ground, he sold the company (after supposedly ripping off a bunch of people in the process) to a french outfit. Rather than updating the retracts with options I proposed, they simply started manufacturing them identically to Doug's design (a good one but not optimum in many eyes). So, I basically designed my own... a new jackscrew design with thrust bearings and a custom electronic control board. You can read more about the design here:

http://www.e-retracts.com

A bunch of videos of them in operation can be seen here on Youtube:





I sold around 20 kits for this project and all are still in operation. Last year though, I sold the final design to a retract developer and therefore can no longer sell kits. I'm still trying to work with another manufacturer in hopes they will consider manufacturing/selling retract actuators like the ones I built so you can convert almost any mechanical retract to electric.

[chistech]

You're a man of way to many talents!

[tomapowa]

You're a man of way to many talents!

Way too many talents (i.e. hobbies) with too little time to enjoy sometimes it seems.... lol

[Neons]

Beautiful working gear. I like the differential speed in them. They seem too lock in nice and positive. That is time consuming to make.
**Neons** Bob