ORIGINAL: Adam G

I have to say that I have not had a bad experience with an ARF yet. There have been isolated things that needed to be tweaked. I have had to replace some weak control rods, strengthen weak structural points, reinforce firewalls, fuel proof engine compartments, etc. I think this is normal for the discriminating modeler. I am just glad that they offer a nice ARF for $200 so I don't have to spend 100's of hours building. I build one kit per winter, take my time, and enjoy it. I build ARF's the rest of the year.

I think the reason I have had good experiences with ARF's is because I stick with the major brands like Carl Goldberg, Great Planes, and Hanger 9. If you want to get a good ARF cheap, try Hanger 9. I have a .40 and 60 sized Twist that cost $89 and $139, and they are awesome. They went together in about 5 hours, the hardware was really nice right down to the wheels and gas tank, and they are a very sturdy and good flying plane. The goldberg and great planes kit's get a little more pricey, but they are very nice as well.

Don't get me wrong, I have been tempted to buy one of the .60 sized chinese warbirds for $80. I just can't see risking it when I can pick up a Hanger 9 for $209 and get a very nice plane with decent mechanical retracts and a good hardware kit. If there are missing or damaged parts, their customer service will have them to me in a couple of days. I know the quality of the balsa and the build will be decent, and I can reinforce any problem areas I notice. i am planning a Top Flight Gold Edition warbird build with pneumatic retracts for this winter.

So my answer to the question this thread asked is avoid any ARF that is not made by a known and respected company with customer service and parts in the US. Don't be tempted to buy the super cheap direct ship stuff because the $100 dollars you save now, you will spend later in hardware and gas getting to and from the hobby shop.

Adam