Mike in DC said :
I totally disagree. I see at the field every day guys destroying trainers in slight crashes that with a Spad you'd be flying again in 10 minutes...
Every day, eh? Where is it you fly, and who are the instructors?
I don't see students (who have had adequate instruction) destroying a lot of trainers. I think that's more of an issue for the instructors to take up, I don't see it as a cause to switch to SPAD. As far as a plane built for instruction, I have formed the opinion that balsa trainers are lighter and handle better than SPAD.
Just my opinion,
Dave Olson