The hobby is definitely changing but I don't know about dying. The big topic at my local club's meeting is how to squeeze our funfly in among the other events on the calendar. 

This is sad news indeed!

It's becoming a monthly event that some RC company is closing down or cutting back production.

I just read, last week Laser Engines in the UK is also closing doors!

I'm sure there are many factors that contributes to this situation and inflation is one of them, the cost of Balsa and ply went up 30% in the last 3 or 4 years. Aluminum 50%. Then we have the instant gratification generation........

All I can say is, support your local shop as much as possible and hone on your building skills. One of these days we will have to start making our own stuff just like in the good ol'days.

JG

Are you actually having the metal parts printed? I know 3D printing for metal (using laser sintering and other methods) exists but I had no idea that it was cheap enough to do it at consumer scale at a cost that was attainable for consumers... I thought it was still in the realm of SpaceX, or GE making a prototype printed jet engine.

Did you see this first hand?  You are the second person Ive heard say this about Sullivan but haven't seen any official corroboration of it from them.

This is what I really worry about - sure we can all cut from plans, make our own fiberglass molds, and 3D print plastic parts -  but making stuff like clevises, ball links, small metal hardware, landing gear parts, etc at home will be a real pain if you are not a trained machinist.

I am also one of the very few in my club that builds but I am not convinced its 100% instant gratification consumerism at fault.  Part of it is all the other demands on peoples time these days we simply don't have the free time our parents generation did.  And part of it is that younger folks are spending that free time in other ways - they may not be cutting balsa but they are playing with 3D printing, coding their own flight controllers, etc.

I am as sad as you to see the traditional methods go, but in a way its progress.  When was the last time you had to get out the soldering iron an assemble a kit to listen to music?  When was the last time you had to adjust the points on your car? etc.