RG wasn't needed...
I read an article some time ago about the design of the SR2x series. The main reason was crazy insurance issues with retract, the ethos was just to put a bigger donkey in the plane to overcome the small difference that the retract gave. An additional reason cited was the fact that the gear is an integral part of the crash certification (recall the SR that splashed down on a river with the chute deployed and the pilot still broke his back).
- Tim