Ok, so I'm probablly not covering any new ground here. My neighbor and flying buddy just bought GSP 72" Extra. Let me say, right out of the box, beautifull. Top notch packaging job, looks like first rate construction. Very impressive, and it's convinced me that my next warbird is going to be a GSP plane. What I thought was interesting, though, was the instruction manual. I've assembled enough World Models ARF's to recgonize one of their instruction manuals, and this one looked just like a WM book. Same little symbols for "cut the film", etc etc.
I'm not trying to uncover any great conspiracies here, I'm sure there are not a lot of companies that have the facilities, trained work pool, etc to build model aircraft. And if GSP is using World Models as their contractor, so what... I personally think WM makes some of the nicer ARF's out there. I just had to make a comment, because the manual was just soooooo familiar...

Andy

BTW, he hasn't made an engine choice yet.....

It's called copying, and it happens all the time in China. They do not follow the same copyright standards that you see in much of the rest of the world. It's pretty much do whatever one can get away with.

For example, I've got a WM .45 size P-51. As a bit of experiment I bid on and won a similar size P-51 off eBay. When it arrived I found that the size, shape, and design was nearly identical to the WM P-51. The finish was ok, but not up to WM standards. The instruction book was the same too, although it was obvious that it was several copies away from the original. I know what factory in China made the clone, and I know it's not the same that makes WM. So, while it's possible that GSP gets some planes from the place that makes WM, it's doubtful. Most likely, it's another plant in China that's riding on the success of someone else's work.

One more thing, have you read this thread? http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2350405

GSP planes are made by China Models.

Sorry to say this but CMPro planes are not the same as WM stuff ... look carefully they are very different. CMPro line of planes are also very different from WM ones. WM planes are a lot lighter than CMPro planes too.

As for engine choice ... get a nice OS160FX for the Extra, you will not regret, also the MVVS 160 will be more than sufficient for aerobatic flying, not 3D of course. You wuill have very good verticals.

Hey Piper,,, I had the same experience with a WM J3 Cub. Won a bid on eBay for the same sized Cub....$50.00.
Manual was an EXACT dupe of the WM's except for one small item. The WM suggested duel elev push rods instead of a single.
Other than that,,, it was the same manual down to the fine print.

<<...my next warbird is going to be a GSP plane..>>

You might want to re-consider that decision. Here there be monsters...