p-40luvr - "relative" is the key word, my friend. while O.S. engines made in japan may be 30% more than Magnum engines made in China, i guarantee you that ARFs made in japan (are they any?) would be 10 times more expensive than those made in China. so the point is that while hobbyist have been enjoying decreasing ARF prices due to lower labor costs, they just haven't been able to enjoy the same savings in engines. so casey, should not be upset at the high cost of engines but rather be happy with the low cost of ARFs.