My guess is that most people involved in this thread are group #3

I have to agree with you 100%. I will wager with anyone that the cowl on my VectorFlight will outlast any Figerglass Cowl that they might produce. Unless of course I plant the Plane in the ground at 80mph. Then that don't count. I have a few other Planes with Fiberglass and others with Plastic. The type of Plastic VF uses for there cowls is much better than alot of other type Plastics I have seen and used, and much better than any fiberglass cowl I have owned. My only wish is that VF would make there Wheel Pants out of the same Mil Plastic that they do for there cowls. If the pants were made like the cowl, man I can't imagine ever wearing the pants out either.
I really do hope they beef up the Pants before I order my next VF Plane which is going to be the Extra.

On the subject of the Canopy. I like the good heavy Mil of the Plastic used for it also. I have had some Canopies on other Planes that tended to crack very easily do to the fact that they were paper thin. I know weight is always an issue when it comes to Planes, but with todays high tech materials there is no reason for a Plane not to have both durabillity, and also be lightweight. These are not 3D Planes anyway, so aside from the wheel pants, I really like the good stout heavier type of Plastic VF uses for the Cowl and the Canopy. These two components are made to last. The belly shield is fine in my opinion, and I really see no reason for it to be much heaveir than it allready is. The only real way to inflict damage on it would be to total the Plane, and no practical type Belly Shield going to hold up to that anyway in my opinion.