"But I would also say it makes an excellent FIRST 3D experience, for all of it benefits that have been gone over so many times. Besides, not all of us want to be Jason Shulman. Some of us just want to have fun, and a Spa3d is or isn't many things, but it IS a fun bugger to fly. "

With the Exception in my case of me wanting to get better than Shulman (thats a long shot) then I totally agree. The SPAD is a great first 3D experience and I will probobly always own one. I can fly my spad in a very very small area and at night where there is only one or two security lights. Which really pays off here in GA during the summer where the heat index might get to 110 during the very humid day. That just burns out those little engines like mad.

"Balsa, foarm, CF, FG planes all fly FANTASTIC, just SPAD do it just as good and a lot less cost"

If we are considering turnover as a factor then yeah. But I can build a Glow powered 3D foam profile for about the same as a SPAD. It does a wider range of stuff but it doesnt hold up like a SPAD during the crashes (at all).