I think Bryan's is flying around 10.25 - 10.50 lbs, maybe slightly more... I seem to remember hearing that somewhere, but I hear lots of things. I'm not sure what Bryan's reasons are behind the wing length, but I can assure you this airplane was designed for F3A competition, and since, from what I understand FAI changes sequences on a different schedule than the AMA, then sequence changes probably had nothing to do with it. Bryan will tell anyone who asks that his theory behind airplane design is to have a final product that requires no mixing to fly and has no bad tendencies. After flying his last weekend, I can tell you he accompished that. He doesn't believe in using mixes on his airplanes, and they are designed to do exactly what they are told to do... nothing more. Like Jon (jetpilot) said earlier, that makes it all come down to the man behind the sticks. This is without a doubt an excellent-flying airplane and as long as they are properly trimmed, they fly great. Bryan finally got his back to that point last weekend for the first time since he crashed it... and I must say you can see it when it flies. It locks in on whatever line you point it on (downlines are unbelievably straight down). Rudder is extremely responsive. Power is ample with a 160DZ, and you can fly it so slowly that it makes the F3A sequence look more like ballet or figure skating than precision aerobatics. Protectedpilot was around during the design and construction of the original Shinden, so perhaps you might be able to direct some more specific questions his way and he might be able to answer them better than I can. I can only speak from my observations since Bryan rebuilt the fuselage after the Shinden bought the farm (battery failure, not airframe) on one of its early flights. I can also say that Bryan's older designs are still kicking butt. Last weekend I had the pleasure of witnessing the flight of protectedpilot's Patriot 3D, and it definitely lived up to what I have come to expect from a Bryan Hebert design, both planes are truly the perfect merger of form and function.