Plastic, Wood and Silver, Oh My!

[pete]

Merlin offhandedly mentioned that he has a plastic piccolo. I have a two part question (please remember that my SISTER is the flute player, not me):

1. What are the advantages of wood/plastic/silver?
2. Why aren't (more) flutes made out of wood or plastic?
3. What about headjoints? How much better is that silver headjoint that a plastic/wooden one?
4. Where's our flute CE? Haven't seen him in awhile ....

[Merlin]

The thing I like about my plastic picc is the waterproof/low maintenance aspect.

I don't really sound much better on a really expensive picc, though that doesn't stop me from wanting one.

[Gandalfe]

I'd worry about extremes in temperature; but then most likely you wouldn't play this outside. I mean you're not a marcher or doing the Stars and Stripes pic solo on 90+ degree summer day, right?