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I've owned 2 Skymasters, one with and one without the gear doors. The mod does not decrease airspeed. Aside from its initial cost (which you did not pay), there are no disadvantages* and the advantage is that if you lose an engine during the wheels-up cycle, there is considerably less drag.
The Horton STOL allows lower airspeeds safely, allowing, as its principal advantage the ability to fly into airports with shorter runways.
Ernie
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* In the spirit of full disclosure, there was a comment once from someone who (if memory serves) claimed that if you took off from a muddy field and encountered cold temperatures, the no-door case could lead the wheels and tires to freeze-lock, adversely affecting your landing, but (again, if memory serves) other users did not think this was a problem.
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