Without exception, retractable airplanes outperformed ones with fixed gear. It was simply understood ... Pure spring gears — solid steel or composite legs, Mooney-style rubber donuts, coil ...

Collins wrote, “In 1963, Mooney tweaked the M20C Mark 21 and added the M20D to the line. Dubbed the Master, it is a fixed-gear airplane with the option to convert it to a retractable.

“I like to ride. Fixed gear, steel frame, no brakes. The bike cannot coast. The pedals never stop turning. Can’t stop. Don’t want to either.” It’s kind of a silly movie, but with those six sentences, ...