Back in fifties I saw a DH Dove (or was it a Heron) on its US sales tour at KLGA. It had fixed landing gear with rather strange looking fairings on the nose leg. A fixed landing gear spoiled what was otherwise a rather nifty looking aircraft.
When did they change over to the retractable gear?
I did fly on the Prinair Herons over to St Croix from San Juan. I remember them as being quite comfortable and the overhead escape hatches made sense in the overwater flying.