The invention described here provides better aerodynamics in airplane wheel fairings. A great improvement is achieved by putting doors on the fairing that completely enclose the wheel. This eliminates drag from the part of the tire that extends outside of a normal wheel fairing. It also eliminates drag from the turbulence associated with the gap between the wheel and the lower edge of a normal fairing. The described wheel fairing is very close to the size and shape of an ideal fairing that could totally enclose an isolated wheel assembly, but would not allow the airplane to land. In fairings where the gear leg enters the top of the fairing, drag is reduced by having a sharp ridge on the top of the fairing, rather than the rounded fairing that is presently used. A further reduction in total drag on the wheel fairing (at least in airplanes traveling around 100 m/s or more) is achieved by making the length to width ratio of the fairing in the range of 3.5.