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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As most of you know for reasons beyond my
control at the time I was forced to quit flying Pattern for a number of years.
Now that I have the means and opportunity to jump back into the "pattern wars"
I'm doing so whole heartedly but having been out of it so long alot of what has
transpired since I was away has really taken me by surprise. First and foremost
was the COST of kits and engines, talk about sticker shock !!!! </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I almost decided to stop the "Return of the King"
right then and there. :) </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It was very hard to justify the price of today's
"Top of the line" kit just to fly a few weekends a year, which led me to ask
myself "Do I really need a PL or ZN airframe to be competitive in the local
contest trail? After thinking on this for a few weeks the answer was a
resounding NO !!! After adding up the cost of these kits along with the cost of
the current "King of the hill" engine (Figured on a YS1.60DZ with exhaust, just
used for price comparisons) and a new radio I just decided I was going to go in
a different direction. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I believe that if pattern is going to grow we need
more airplanes like what Piedmont had in the Focus series as well as a few other
manufactures. Those airplanes gave great abilities to the masses at a price that
was affordable and were easy to assemble and maintain. It appears that the Focus
series of arf/arc might die due to the "Keep up with the Jones" attitude. Come
on now the Focus has won how many classes at the Nats? This year it
was the "Impact" composite airframe and alot of people are jumping on
that airplane now because Jason won with it. Next year it might be
something else and the cycle continues over and over again. The mentality that
we have to have these high dollar airframes is killing the sport period!
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I submit that the average pattern flier cannot fly
the current airframe he has to within 75% of the airframes ability so instead of
practicing and getting a good coach they try to make themselves better by
buying/building a better airplane. Remember when Hanno's designs (Magic?) were
deemed getting "To complex"? So what does Hanno do? He designs a basic airplane
(Superfly?) and just kicked BUTT with it. This madness is going to kill our
sport very quickly when the cost of a full up 2m pattern ship kit cost more than
the avg ready to fly 30% that avg joe at your local flying field builds
and flies every weekend. Don't you think that if there was a huge market for
pattern planes that Chip would have his business geared towards pattern but he
doesn't because he knows where the majority of the flying is done and it isn't
in pattern, given the amount of ex-pattern fliers that now fly IMAC style
airplanes or quit flying all together it's cost being the driving
factor IMHO.</FONT></DIV>
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