Originally posted by Sport_Pilot
Kinda thought retracts were not really popular anymore, even modern pattern planes did not have them. SPA is for INEXPENSIVE old time pattern. If you want a high speed pattern SIG I guess you can start one.
I don't thing it has much to do with being "popular" or not. A pattern plane is designed to WIN a competition following the rules. Today's emphasis is a lot more on maniability and stall than on clean trajectories, hence speed is the enemy (almost), and retract does not make sense if you are not looking for speed.
I have looked at SPA rules also, and am not interested, because pretending to fly planes from the 60s and 70s without retracts simply does not make sense. They ALL had retracts, if they were internationally competitive, and today you find good retracts for about 35 bucks, so it has nothing to do with money.
I had a Minare years ago that I loved, and may very well build a Curare, but it would be a crime to have a Curare without retracts, so the hell with the SPA....(Have flown a Mach One, too, was a great plane, fast landings....)
Bernard