ORIGINAL: rix

I am looking at it strictly from an economic point of view. The new crop of cost effective competitive kits becoming available, it is silly and foolish to have to budget 50% or more into the initial cost a Vanquish (the Osiris is next, and I suspect others are on the drawing board) with no discernible performance benefit after you have spent the money, only so you can fly at the NATS once a year. That's why it is stupid. It serves no purpose other than raising costs. The 2 meter rule makes sense and has purpose. The noise rule helps move technology forward and eventually filters down to the masses and helps saves flying fields. Eliminate the weight rule for 2 years, keep the 2meter and noise rules in place and then evaluate. If after two years the argument holds true and $10,000 20 pound bi-planes become vogue and cannot be beat then its evaluation time again. So in summary you spend $650 on a Vanquish or an Osiris ($100 shipping) and then have to dole out another $400 or more to make weight defeats the purpose of the new market direction that manufactures are trying to create for us and is good for pattern. The new market opens up possibilities of new recruitment and keeps aging pattern flyers in the mix (critical for pattern). If guys want to spend $5000 on a pattern plane, then God bless ya, but a rule should not dictate a market movement and hold back new possibilities.