If Estes or Madcow came out with a scale or sport scale kit based on an existing design would that not be, by definition, a new kit? The Arreauxbee-Hi is based on the Aerobee-Hi sounding rocket, so yes, it is a new kit. I stand by my previous assertion: Not true.

Aerotech has been "stuck" with the same overpriced, plastic-finned, snap-together "kits" for decades .

Yup, and they've been selling them for decades.
And people have been buying them for decades.
Or is it your assertion that American consumers are a bunch of idiots that don't know enough to shop around? I think not.
If a manufacturer put out an overpriced product with inferior parts and design against stiff competition they would not last a year in the marketplace, much less decades.

Ask yourself this . . . Why doesn't Aerotech have a line of HPR kits ?

Hmmmm…..Let me guess....
1. They don't need to
2. The demographics don't support the effort: More profitable to cater to the large majority of flyers who don't fly HP.
3. But of course, if you have some kind of secret insider information as to why Aerotech does not, then by all means please enlighten us.

__________________
I like the unusual, the off beat, the avant-garde. No 3/4 FNC for me!