Joe,

What makes it fair to have a stepped weight regulation? You're overlooking the fact that people can and will use the same airplane as they progress through the classes. My first contest in September of 2005 I flew in Sportsman with my first Partner. I competed with that airplane into Masters, which I flew my first contest in that class two years later to the day. I would have flown it longer than I did, but I lost the airplane in March of 2008.

I would have been screwed moving up as I couldn't afford to buy another airplane. I really couldn't afford to buy the two matching Partners that I have now from Quique, but I somehow managed to scrape it all together. People have accused me of having better "sloppy seconds" than they have on the first time around, and be that as it may, you still need to exercise caution when buying a second-hand airplane. Often times in the world of fullscale, a pre-purchase inspection is the deal breaker for someone foaming at the mouth ready to write a check. Exercise a little common sense, and you'll yeild a good purchase.