Pattern needs to revamp their rules. As long as they're locked into 2 meters and 5Kg, the planes just don't have the interest of big IMAC gassers. The future of pattern appears to be electric...that's even more of a snorer for me. Yes, pattern planes fly great. They'd fly even greater with the 3 meter rule and no weight limits.
Yes they would. But F3A is more of a commercial class so the models have to remain relatively easily transportable and cheaper (although I'm not sure this applies so much these days with the current costs). If they were to change the rules to 3m then F3A would be wiped out the world over apart from in the States. What’s the use of that?
If you want to fly big model you do IMAC. The nature of F3A is (and always will be if it is to remain viable) to use smaller models. Then of course there is the noise aspect as well from large petrol types. They sound great but how many flying sites can actually cater for these huge, noisy models? Not that many, certainly not an awful lot here in the UK.
Angus