Ya know speed and racing is alot like stunt we just tend apply our efforts in different areas. A competitive stunt model may take as long as 6 months or more to build and finish. A competitive speed model maybe 2 months and no kits here have not seen a commerical speed kit in decades. Usually an airframe is built based on other planes past performance with ones own features included after that it is all engine or motor and prop.
1. "Pass a rules change to require landing gears."
Most speed ships use a Dolly
2. "Use a wire skid, won't slow you down much, take it off for important record attempts."
Most all use a wire skid cheaper than new pans.
3. Consider the prop chump change compared to the motor, controls, and battery that you will smoke on a winning flight."
If you lay up your own props and molds, time, effort and materials $20.00 + ea. depending on how many different pitches one
goes thru to find the right prop. Most speed types are as fanatical about props as than they are about engines. Many hours go
into both
Smoking an engine won't happen if everything is right, loosing a piston and liner fit does happen. Blowing a winding on a motor
Ouch ! Coating the windings with epoxy and a rebalance could help prevent that. That use to work on slot car motors anyway,
these new brushless motors not sure.
All your points do help in breaking a record, except for the want of a landing gear
on a speed ship.
Remember all the options have pro's an cons deciding which ones to follow is up to the individual.
Scott