Have you seen the "original" Troy Built's? I have their 35% (23 lb.s with smoke) and wouldn't trade it for anything. I would love to get a 42% airframe uncovered and just hang it on the wall, it is quite nice to look at (but better to fly of course). Not an ounce of foam anywhere, and only the minimalist of wood!

Have you seen a Carden, Lanier, Aeroworks, Hangar 9, etc. that are all filled with foam?

Of course you know the two 42%'s TBM's I've had the pleasure of flying (one prototype and one made exclusively for RC Showcase, both were of basic configuration you can buy from the factory) weighed ~33 pounds decked out with all the dual receivers and gobs of servos per surface, while the lightest of the Carden's I've ever heard of weighed 38 pounds and was absolutely minimal in terms of equipment. Schulman himself at Nall last year commented that if he'd have flown a TBM before the last TOC he would've bought 4 of them to take!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure the planes Tony builds are absolutely top notch, straight and true, but that only means the planes are built to be what they are. The best built Aeroworks will always be heavier than a well built TBM, and will therefore fly heavier. He intends to "strengthen" the airframe. I have no idea why. Those of you in the Dayton, OH area have seen me fly the CRAP out of mine including four crash landings. The net result of that is some covering wrinkles. I couldn't ask for a more resilient plane, especially for one that is this good.

The best thing Tony can do is leave the design alone, maybe even consult with some engineers about redesigning some areas (ie. landing gear and firewall areas) for more strength and call it that. At the very least market a beefed up version alongside the awe inspiring TBMs I've seen.

Bottom line is the TBMs were designed with being light at ALL COST in mind, that is the reason they are the best on the market now. Filling them up with foam and making them "stronger" is completely against the initial design of the airplane and therefore just asking for trouble.