Ola,

I agree lighter is better, and in truth, I believe you are correct in that laziness is big factor.

The planes I am currently flying have full composite wings that are much higher quality than I could build and have fully sealed aileron (and elevator) hingelines that can not be matched with foam/balsa construction. From my experience, the foam/balsa wings will become more flexible as they age....the foam becomes softer, and the beads lose adhesive to each other. At some point, the wings will need to be replaced (500 - 1500 flights depending on initial build quality and weight). I've not noticed any change in the strength of composite panels with 1500+ flights.

For the 3 Wistmodels Bravos I have built (2 for me, 1 for my Dad), average wing panel weight with servo is 405 grams RTF (including attachment nuts) for painted full composite wing panels. For that small 30 gram penalty, I'm quite happy to have the added longevity and never need to touch up the monokote. It would seem the challenge is for other manufacturers to attain the lightweight composite panels Wistmodel has been making for several years.

Regards,