I wouldn't say they have gone out of fashion... it's just that demand is low.
The UK was pretty much alone through the late 80s and 90s in preferring stick radios - the rest of the world had gone over to wheel radios (which are a natural development of slot car controllers). Sticks are a development of air radios.
During the 00s, manufacturers stopped doing UK-specific versions of RTRs, so they all came with wheels as well.
If you go to a race meeting now, you can tell who has been in the hobby for more than 10 years because 99% of them will be using sticks. I'd say that the majority of people I see at race meetings now use wheels.
When the total global market for high-end stick car radios is a few hundred units a year, it's no surprise that they are getting harder to find.
As far as the KO goes, I think they missed the mark with the Esprit 3. The quality was poor. Just Futaba and Sanwa to choose from now. Sanwa have a brand new set out but it isn't officially in the UK yet.
There are no advantages to a wheel radio. It's just personal preference.
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