I've been selling plans off and on for 20 years; partly based on that, a few comments:
(1) There should be a way for Pat to receive at least some remuneration. Trust me, there are hours and hours of work involved.
(2) The idea of an easily-accessed repository is great - but we shouldn't ask Sparky to take on more without some financial support, should we?
Dave Siegler: How much storage space does your club have available? Would there be additional costs involved?
(3) Many of you don't want to hear or acknowledge this, but we here represent a drop in the bucket of the potential market. Ask me how I know, LOL! I have sold nearly a dozen plans to a buyer smack dab in an area where I lived for 3 years. I've told him about great contests nearby, great flying sites, great people I met and know there. Clubs. NO INTEREST.
This is just one example. There are many who enjoy building and possibly flying who have little or no interest in camaraderie, clubs, contests. They purchase a lot of plans! I have a couple of friends right in my area who like to build and purchase plans and kits from me but never come out to fly.
(4) There may be several here who are perfectly comfortable with CAD files, but some of my buyers have their hands (?) full with printed plans and very few are looking for even pdf files. What I and others sell on eBay is largely
convenience.
How about a "perfect" solution: Someone much younger than me, or a group, purchases or obtains the files from Pat and then offers for sale either (a) plan files or (b) printed plans on a site with traffic, such as eBay? If Pat "donates" his files, a Royalty to him on each sale? If the plan files are freely given or even sold at minimum prices, expect to see several eBay sellers offering printed plans!
Just some thoughts ... I started offering several Musciano plans 20 years ago. If I've made 2 cents an hour for the effort it would be shocking, but it's nice to see them continuing to be available, and Pat's are some of the very best we'll see anywhere.
Dennis,
hoping this makes sense, it's 4 in the morning!