When I was little I used to love watching my dad raise the gear on his Compensator immediately after takeoff, it always made me smile. And that plane wouldn't have looked quite as cool to me without that shiny pipe running down the side of the fuse. Retracts and tuned pipes were what separated pattern planes from regular sport planes back in the day. Hell, until I am able to afford something better I'm still competing in AMA Intermediate with my YS .61-powered, retract-having, rocket of a pattern ship. I didn't do so hot in the last contest I went to, but considering the Friday before it started I hadn't flown ANY plane in over 7 years, I was pleased with the progress I made throughout the weekend. I guess my point is that I think retracts and pipes should be allowed... pull out an old rule book and use the same engine/plane size limitations from the 70's, extend to allow designs up to 78 or 80, and the SPA would grow by leaps and bounds. Heck, you might even be able to get people interested in pattern who are avoiding it mainly because of the cost. Not everyone has $400+ dollars to throw out on an engine just because they think it's needed to be competitive, but if they could pick up an old Bridi kit, or something similar, slap a cheap .60 with a pipe, and go flying... All said and done they could get a plane in the air competing in the SPA when they would have a hard time getting past Intermediate in today's pattern.