I get very confused on this $$ thing. Yeah, someone can spend lots of $$ on planes but Mark Leesburg has, I've been told, a 40% plane with 4 electric motors and all the batteries going into a gear box. Lets talk some $$ on that one. Or compare the electric cost of Pattern to that.

I can buy an Aeroslave Symphony, build it myself, RTF with YS DZ and $100 servos for $2500/3KMax.

My Prestige was much more expensive and am estimating only $3K in it.

I do have a 35% extra that was $3500 that I fly sparingly.

40% planes are in the $7K range.

Is $3K a lot of money, you bet but not compared to some of the other options.

The strange thing is I can still take my pattern planes and go fly circles if I want. They will do some mild 3D. Some will torque roll, but your range of control is lower.

I guess I don't understand the specific issues. I see a 4*40 as being specific to flying holes in the sky(a pattern plane can do that), a Corsair is specific to victory rolls low straffing passes and flying holes inthe sky (a pattern plane can do that, a jet is specific to going fast (older pattern planes could do that, a Jekyll PHD was clocked at our field flying 150mph)

I'm not bashing all these other things, I just see that specificity and $$ as part of the incorrect rumors about pattern. A pattern plane can fly the IMAC sequence. There are people that build Pattern planes just to burn holes in the sky, but smoother and in fact easier. In Sportsman, you can fly what ever you want, long as it fits in 2X2 box. Same as IMAC, except the size is unlimited in IMAC.

However IMAC and Pattern are different. I for one am glad they are different, and have enjoyed both.

Just my thoughts.

ed