Joe,

The addiction to flying RC has no cure; however, we all can make an effort to modify our approach to the hobby.

Making money is more or less difficult, but buying is so easy that it can become compulsive.

Try changing your mind from buying made to building, improving and repairing your planes and polishing your flying skills.

Read any current RC magazine: each and all articles tells you to buy, buy ...........and buy.
Good thing that we don't see RC staff advertised on TV!!!

That situation belongs to the past.
Consumers had a high buying potential, little free time.
Massive production in Asian factories was cheap.
Demand matched offer.

The results:
1) Less modelers created model airplanes and less people learned about them.
2) More people were exposed to trying RC flying, and many became really proficient at playing with the Tx's sticks.

Unless while the economic crisis remains among us, less people will be able to afford the expenses of the past, and more people will have a little more time.
At least for a while, modelers that want to remain active, must use their money in things that they really need to keep going.
I believe the crisis is good regarding the returning to basic skills of building and repairing of old modelers.
By example, some of the newer modelers will learn about plans, construction, repair and bashing.

Will kits and construction articles will come back?
I don't believe so, but the almost abandoned arts of designing, scratch building and repairing will not die completely.