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[I need to see specific numbers regarding price for a carbon mast for an F16 before anyone talks about how easy it would be to get one! It ain't gonna be cheap and my guess would be at least 2500 to 3k at a minumum. Maybe it is less for a stealth mast if you make pounds rather than $. If carbon were the same price as Al then we would all have carbon masts... if anyone wants to say otherwise bring it on

I think the real benefit of carbon (aside from the obvious weight savings) is that it is stiffer which can give you more power. Go ahead... argue with me because I am speaking out of my a--! But my limited experience with carbon tells me that. My aluminum F16 mast is not very stiff.]

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Correct on all points (but add the ease of righting if ditched and that the “lightness” makes ditching FAR less likely as well) BUT if/when you do use a carbon mast; I personally feel that you would find it very difficult to be content going back to an aluminium one. That is purely my opinion and others may differ. I feel that the extra cost is worth every cent of the outlay.
(I don’t know which carbon mast is being considered for the Viper, I do know that Goodall has used Applied Composite’s “A” class mast quite a bit in the past though.)