bbbair
I had one of Adrian's GeeBee "Z" built from a Hobby Hangar kit. What a super neat Plane, and its a shame to see another good kit designer gone. We Americans don't like to work for pennies, but most don't mind if those building our ARF's do. I know that statement ticks people off, but anyone over 35 can drive thru any small town in America, and it don't take a genious to see what is missing and why. I am not blaming all ARF's either...because I used to buy from a little ARF company in Canada called Vectorflight. They put out a pretty nice product and were real good people to deal with. They to could not compete no matter how great there customer service was, and no matter how good there product was. No American or Canadian can compete against those absurdly low asian wages. I am not against fair trade, and if another country like Japan can build better products using our same higher labor standards, the competition is good and it drives innovation, and it makes us work harder to try to do better to create better products. However to suggest that we should opperate like the Chineese do...........eegad! Airplanes, Cars, Electricity, Phones, splitting Atoms. It all came from America's desire to create and experiment and be a leader in the world. However it is just crazy to think any North American including Mexico could stoop clear down to Asian labor standards, and we are losing our edge everyday because for many people it just don't matter anymore where stuff comes from as long as it is cheap. I have been just as guilty as the next guy, but everytime I read where the little guy got beat out again by Asian wares, it really makes me stop an think about what I am doing, and maybe to try just a little better tommorrow to do something that might be better for "we" instead of just "me". We all or most of us threw mom and pop under the bus! I am absolutely certain there are people that are fine with that. When was the last time you looked at the label on something to see where it was made? Would you pay an extra buck or two for something if you knew your friend and neighbor Bill made that product and was trying to put his two kids through school? Sorry for the rant...but it just saddens me that it has become a me me me me me...its all about me society!
Anyhow I will get off my soap box, but I will say again...I thought Adrian did put out some pretty nice stuff.