I would love to try and get to the bottom of the statement that Chipmunks are expensive to maintain and therefore run.
Ours costs between £2,000 and £3,000 per annum in maintenance and £100 per hour to fly (slightly subsidised by the group's other activities). When it chewed bearings recently the bill was around £12k (without any work on the cylinders, which were in good condition). That sounds to me to be comparable to a PA28 or C172 being run in a group environment. Would a similar engine problem on a Lyco cost any less to sort?
I know that there are serious spares issues as regards the engines, but despite that a large number of de Havillands and other aircraft using the Gypsy engine seem to manage to stay in the air year in year out.