Gear up
A fellow flight instructor took me aback with a statement that the Cardinal gear should not be retracted during a short field takeoff until well clear of the obstacles because of the drag of the retracting wheels. Even though there are no gear doors, he said the gear legs rotate during retraction and at some point the wheels are at 90 degrees to the airflow, increasing the drag.
I read the POH and it says the gear should be retracted when clear of the obstacles, sure, but the reason given is the possibility that if retracted too soon, the pilot might hit the ground with the retracting wheels since they actually move downward as they start to fold.
Has anyone heard of the theory of the drag increase, and is it true? I always like to get my gear up early, especially on a short field takeoff, and wait only until I am positively clear of the ground and climbing, but rarely look for obstacles as controlling at this point. With the gear up my climb rate is better and the obstacles will be cleared easier.
There might be a case for delaying the retraction in case an immediate landing becomes necessary, but that is another topic.
Pilots are good at talking things to death.