RE: Are they really this fragile?
fcabanski;
The tail motors in most brands usually seem to have a very short life. This also depends on how much voltage you are putting through them.
My FP clone has at least 2 dozen+ flights and the tailmotor is still going strong. This is with the stock 7 cell NiMh pack.
The RX (by itself) on the other hand should NOT be subject to failures unless damaged in a crash.
The 3-n-1 and 4-n-1 combination boards however, vary widely in reliability from brand to brand. Low flight hour failures are reportly common.
There are many posts on the various message boards about which brands are more problematic.
Hope you find a solution that works for you.
Pops