Well, I got lucky when Kevin Green put together a several thousand dollar order for us a few months back. He was able to get it for all of us at $6.00 a tube. That's the best price I ever saw.

If I really really need a tube I pay $13.00 at my LHS. If I can wait I order from Mcmaster Carr at $10.00 a tube.

The bottom line is I believe the product is worth it at any of those prices. My opinion is you simply need it and it's the cost of doing business (jet business). There's no way around if you want quality jets to fly you gotta pay quality dollars. Am I happy I spent $3000.00 this week for a pipe, gear, servo leads, servos, gear door sequencer, on board voltmeter, duralite batteries, check valves, flite metal, reciiver, fuel tanks etc for my Yellow F-15? Hell no. But I bought the best money can buy (that I know of) and when I get all this crap end of this week and taxi test my F-15 next week or two and fly it. I know that if anything happens to the airplane it's not becuase I cut any corners. I'll know that I did everythign that could be done to make it a successful jet.

I've only lost one airplane I cared about and it was last november (my isobar). The tail pipe failed in flight and it was the best tailpipe I know that money can buy (Tam's). I did everything I could to make that airplane successufl and I don't blame myself for the failure and I don't blame tam (entirely, I still think someone should have piped up and told me that the pipe could fail under the condition it was in, but that's another story and he didn't know or I'm sure he would have warned me).

Anyway, get the right product, and build it to be the best it can be. Even if that takes more time and more money. It's worth it in the end.