Absolutely is!
Am I understanding this correctly in that, by your estimation, the open gear increased the Drag Area (Ds) by 16%? Sorry if I got lost in the calc. At around 395 mph, what would be the approximate speed penalty for such an obstruction?
Also, I want to point out that the gear issue was NOT just for 2019. The below image is from 2018, and the gear shadow looks about the same to me.
Going back further is problematic because the image quality (and photographer enthusiasm) drops off. But things look pretty good in 2017. Note that the left side wheel door seems to have a slight shadow, but all appears flush on the right.
![]()