It will be much harder to transport and store both the fuse and the wing with fixed gear. DV8R is a big model and with fixed gear sticking out it would be a pain. I wouldn't give up the retracts in mine for a second. They haven't been any trouble at all as the DV8R is one model where there is space to fit everything in. Relative to the total cost, retracts are just a minor part. Do yourself a favor. Go with retracts. It'll fly faster (or at lower throttle setting) too.