ORIGINAL: Dr Honda
How the heck are they shipping?? YES... shipping is up... but I shipped a JetSki engine to the west coast, and it was only $70. (almost 100#)
Shipping for Chineese ARF's is by air, not truck (unless you are willing to wait 6 months or more for a container to come over by ship from the company you're purchasing from). Furthermore, the size of an airplane kit is so large that you get charged on "dimensional weight" vs. the actual weight. I shipped a BVM Mig kit to the UK several months ago, and the shipping charge from UPS was over $800 - and UPS was the only company I (as an individual, not a company) could find to do it. The package was so large that I got charged for 250 lbs even though it only weighed 35 lbs...
Bob