I always like to jokingly refer to IMAC as NASCAR and pattern as Formula One or IMAC as WWE and pattern as gymnastics.
Each has their own hugely devout following and both going about similar things with a different approach. I liked to fly them both myself, but the IMAC planes just got too huge for me to continue to compete. It was purely a "size" thing and yes, size does matter to a judge. It got to a point when I was seeing BASIC pilots showing up at tournaments with Suburbans/trailers and 2 x 40-42% Extras!!! With all the ARF's out there for ridiculously low prices in IMAC planes, the price difference between them is negligible, especially when you take into account glow vs gas... The radios are a different story altogether, but if you already have a good radio, that is evened out. Ed was telling me the other day about some of the prices in the new IMAC ARF airframes that were half of a good pattern plane airframe. It's amazing what they can build now in the SE Asia countries... (I wish that $$ savings would trickle over to the pattern planes!)
John
PS We missed the Tulsa guys at our pattern meet a couple of weeks ago. Please consider coming next year. You won't regret it!