Matt,

Things could be phrased just a little differently he

The good part is they make reliable airplanes that have stood the test
of time.

The bad part is they have sat on their dollar-fat behinds for decades,
not taken any risks with developing new designs, blocked innovation and
milked everything they possibly could out of ancient, outdated designs
while...

They also have a world-wide support organization that few
other small airplane makers can match.


... conveniently excerting their monopoly-like power on a small market.

The above holds only for the piston market, of course, and is a
simplification - as much as your statements were.

I've said it befo We as a group can't complain all the time about
there being no development in this market and at the same time badmouth
every newcomer there is and standing fast with the old companies that
don't deliver the innovation. Cessna isn't looking into a new plane
because they WANT to, it's because they were MADE to - by Cirrus and
Diamond. Strong competition for Cessna is something we should ALL desire.
It makes them move - at long last. Their first try was just beginning to
offer "new" 50-year-old designs. It didn't work to squash Cirrus, so now
they're trying something else. Something at which Cirrus and Diamond
might well have way more experience.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)