(a) Argosy ? .. twice the payload ? .. given that the beast had trouble enough making any sort of first segment at average weights ... it is, indeed, impressive that it managed not to get its belly wet on the example occasion ...
(b) Of course there needs to be checks and balances to keep the dishonest only moderately so ... that goes without saying.
(c) I have no problem with a weighbridge's being accurate .. there is plenty of room to straingauge the supports .. only the external conditions and their effect on the calibration is of concern ... as a regular user of both platform and loadcell aircraft weighing systems, the calibration transfer to the real world of weighing is a constant problem ... one which many of my colleagues seem not to concern themselves with to any great extent ... particularly with loadcell systems one can generate errors galore by being cavalier with the conduct of a weighing.
(d) prototype testing makes good sense ... what sort of numeric results have you had to date with model and full size prototype units ?
(e) those of us who are engineers are not daunted by change .. but see not much point of change for change's sake .. if, however, the mousetrap is a better product .. then we are all for it .. provided the cost/benefit numbers make sense as well.
(f) as for the PacMan brigade thing .. that is a whole new ballgame of problems and belief construct worries ...