Based on my back of the envelope analysis of the theoretical base price
of a 2 place aircraft, I think wishing for a plane costing less than 50K
is nothing more than a pipe dream.

I don't buy it. When I
was in the Keys, I saw a two-seat UL trainer on floats. It was open
cockpit (very open), and had a Rotax engine and Dacron-sailcloth
covered wing, but it was $25K new. Presumably the manufacturer
was making a profit.

I think all your prices are WAY too high. $15K for an engine? A Rotax
retails for half that. That's RETAIL - if you're a manufacturer you
should be able to get a better deal.

$20K for airframe components? You can buy a quickbuild kit for a
pretty advanced (high-speed all-metal RV) for less. Retail. Prebuilt
and predesigned for home assembly.

$4K for instruments? For an IFR panel with certified components,
maybe. For day-VFR, you need a non-sensitive altimeter, an airpeed
indicator, a compass, and some engine gauges. The retail price on all
this (assuming non-certified stuff) is maybe $1K.

I think everyone pretty much expected that when the LSA rules came out,
the UL trainers (2 seat) would be sold as LSA's for about the same
money they cost as UL trainers - about $20K-$30K ready to fly. This
isn't happening. There really are only two possible reasons. Either
the LSA 'certification' process isn't really all that simple or cheap
(meaning that, as with the recreational pilot and VLA, the FAA has
botched the job again) or the manufacturers figure they can skim the
cream at a higher price.

Michael