<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">In a message dated 11/11/02 11:48:45 AM Pacific Standard Time, av8tor@flash.net writes:<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">. What I see being flown by the average <BR>
modeler (remember AVERAGE, not IMACC, not Giant Scaler, not Pattern, but <BR>
average sport pilots) is flying 0.40 to 0.60 engines or 1.20 2 <BR>
strokes. Average money a modeler puts into his plane is less than $1000.00 <BR>
(including radio).<BR>
<BR>
>From what I see flying pattern most of the modelers who place in the top <BR>
3-4 stops in each class (not include sportsman) runs $500-$1500 for the <BR>
radio, $500-$700 for engine/mount/pipe, and $1300 for kit, covering and <BR>
hardware. That works out to 3 times the cost of an average sport plane.<BR>
<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
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I agree with all of this, as far as it goes. The rest of the story, as I see it, is that the AVERAGE sport guy has several of these airplanes and comes to the field and puts them all together and flies them all. The reason, my opinion, is that "boring holes in the sky" with no discipline or purpose becomes boring so you need a new airplane for change/challenge. On the other side of this you often see Pattern guys or IMAC guys who have the same airplane for a season two seasons, several seasons. Maybe the airplane has seen sever engines, has 1000 flights on it etc. Then he sells it to a new guy moving up and is on to a different plane. How often do you see a sport plane last long enough or entertain the owner long enough to need a new engine. Which is more expensive, you do the math, I'm too lazy, but it's not as one sided as it seems at first glance.<BR>
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Bob</FONT></HTML>