acdii
Posts: 2293
Score: 155
Joined: 1/31/2011
Last Login: 5/20/2013
From: Capron,
IL, USA
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You get what you pay for, for the most part, sometimes you get not so good for good money, IE a Friday plane. Some have said the Kit costs more to build, and in most cases, are right, but the kit is also a one off custom plane compared to an identical to each other ARF. You get a lineup of these boxed warbirds, and unless you did something unique to it, you wouldn't know which one is yours. You get 10 builders line up their planes, and not one of them will be the same. That's the big difference between ARF and kit. The SIg 4* I had, if I took it to the field and others had the same plane, chances are, if they left the decals off like I did, you wouldn't be able to tell whose was whose. My Kadet however, no one else will have one that looks just like mine!
Which plane has held up better to fiddle thumbs? The kit built Kadet. The ARF, well, it can be rebuilt, but will take a lot of effort.
As someone else mentioned, if you have built before, chances are you already have a pile of things already, so you can build a kit for less than an arf, If I wanted to, I could have built the P-51 straight out of the box, and would have flown it already, and other than the engine, and radio that you would need for the arf, the additional items, would be wheels, spinner, fuel tank, and covering. The kit and parts would still be below the arf price for the same size plane. BUT, how many people would build straight out of the box?  Retracts, special servos for the gear doors, tail wheel retracts, fiberglass for the skin, paint, and other little things to make the plane more scale like and special, yep, THAT adds up quickly.
As for the glues, that is something you should have no matter what! You still need it for the ARF, and if you go to swap meets, you can usually pick up quite a few different types for a lot less than the stores. I usually get the 1 ounce bottles of CA for $4 a bottle, its over $5 at the store before tax. Epoxy I get for $6.
Tools, well, depending no how much you do, you still need basic tools, whether you build, or arf. You can make a lot of your own tools too, or buy them as you can afford them. And they are not a one use tool, you have them forever(unless you buy cheap).
So frankly, the ARF vs Kit pricing, non issue, unless you are a one plane person, but seriously, who can have just ONE PLANE! LOL I started with one, last year, I now have 3 flying, two on the building board, one that needs an engine, and a couple little Ultra Micros. I blame the new fangled radios that have model memory!
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> RC Warbirds and Warplanes >> RE: Has TopFlite gone nuts with the price?? 
RE: Has TopFlite gone nuts with the price?? - 
Think of all the extra time you would have to build a plane if you were'nt on here complaining about the cost of an arf and beating your chests over your building skills.
