Gear Drag Coefficient

[Dale Campbell]

I have owned a 337H for 8 years and fly out of a short field.
In the first flights I found the large gear door created a lot of drag if I retracted on climb out. I flew my instructors 337 with doors removed and found little drag when retracting on climb out.
I had the doors removed and noticed all the parts that got removed and found the weigh to be considerable and that meant a lighter aircraft. The drag disapeared when I retacted gear. That also meant fewer mechanical parts to fail. I am very happy with gear mod and would do it all over again if I purchased another 337. I now retract gear about 10 feet off the ground and get a faster climb. I did not lose a single knot at cruise either. Dale Campbell