Prior to starting on the Nexus, I did a fair amount of research into the possibility of adding retractable landing gear. Motor/pumps and many of the needed hydraulic components are available from Glasair and Lancair suppliers. There are companies that can supply air springs and these could be coupled with dampers to come up with an oleo equivelent without having to point design and machine a custom strut. In the end, however, I just did not like the physical layout. If you do not extend the center wing spar section, the gear must retract into the fuselage. This means it must go under the pilot's knees, Even after adjusting the retract geometry to get the proper tire location and retracted angle, there just was not enough room to make the pilot comfortable and retain room for a structural load path. The solution is to extend the wing spar and retract the wheel into the wing or make the fuselage deeper. However, this would be a new wing design (departing significantly from the Mustang 2, and I was unwilling to buy into a project of that magnitude.
