david weaver
Panels are actually where I like the heavy plane. You don't really ever have to lift them aside from lifting the back of the plane just slightly to keep the iron from riding and wearing on the backstroke.

I don't like a 9 pound plane on edges, because you do have to lift them.

I couldn't tolerate planing hard maple or beech with a 1 1/2 pound plane on the push.

It isn't a matter of bad design, unless you believe anything that's ever pushed is a bad design by that feature alone.

I use everything I can find so far, including japanese and chinese design planes, just to get my fingers on everything, and I haven't found anything that will match a western panel plane for panels. My back doesn't complain about them, and my hands and elbows don't absorb jarring on harder woods. It isn't an inferior design for that kind of work, it's superior.