Let's not forget that we have pushed the manufacturers into delivering what we ask for. Today, everything is ARF. The manufacturer builds, sands, and paints our models. We put in the firewall and have our pattern ship up and flying in 1-2 weeks. I'll never forget the 2011 NATS in the US and watching Chris Moon and Mike Mueller sitting in Chris' hotel room. I don't remember what happened but in one night, they took a plane out of the box from the manufacturer and had it ready for trim flights the next morning. That's how complete our models are today. It wasn't that long ago you would pay $400 for a fiberglass fuse and a set of foam cores and spend 3-4 months building it and painting it. Even the kits today are more completed than they ever have been before. Like someone above said, if you include the man hours required to build one of the older ships in your equations, the cost has not really increased as much as one would think. If you are a builder then that's part of the hobby and something that is to be enjoyed.<div></div><div>Innovation and technology do cost but that same technology comes down in cost as time progresses. It's evident in everything we have in our lives. Computer components are a perfect example as well as cell phones and even microwaves. I remember when Mom and Dad saved for a while to buy that brand new $800 microwave that could barely hold a plate of food. Today, that microwave is available at Walmart for $89. </div>