Oh, absolutely. I've been known to cut open the belly of an ARF and repair and recover the framework if it's warranted. If I have any question about the hardware, I chuck it instantly.
This manual is more than a little sparse on details, I must say. I hope they have plans to upgrade it and add more specs. Several things I keep looking for, but so far, I cannot find; a factory designated CG, angles of attack on the rear, front, and upper wings.
I've just gone ahead and started doing it my own way, but I'm going to try to research those things before I end up in a bind without them. With Clark-Y airfoils, I know I can zero them all and then adjust as needed, but my stubborn side keeps telling me that, with a 500+ dollar ARF, I shouldn't have to do that. That being said, I'm still most impressed with the framework and covering work so far. I pushed back one of the first steps until later in the build. It recommends that the cabane struts are installed right away. They're quite tall, and really get in the way when you need to invert the model to work inside of it, as I am now with the initial fitting of the engine and related gear.
Yes, I could have gone with a larger gasser than the 40CC, but the 40CC is the largest recommended gas engine size for the Pitts, so I'm happy. It's a beautifully machined engine, and it doesn't look like they played it cheap on the metals or the machining. What I like is that the plug wire caps should fit inside the cowl, with no cutting at all. I haven't determined yet what the carb linkages will be like with this engine, but I love the fact that the carb is right out in the open, in case it needs servicing. My prior gas engine, the Syssa, requires that you remove the engine to service the carb, or at the very least one or more of the mount standoffs. NOT the most handy setup, as I recall, from the one time I had to service it.
Hoping to get some work hours in on the Pitts tomorrow. I'll keep the camera handy while I work.
Jim