If you don't have an answer or opinion on the question, just move on quietly!
Try taking your own advise - where is your input on the subject?
If the topic has been discussed before, it's off-limits now??
Not necessarily, but here's a thought. Every time someone wants to be spoon-fed the 411 on an old subject, lets not rehash a 40 page thread that ended in product bashing, bad information and opinions from some people who don't have any first-hand information on the subject or products at all.
FenderBean,
There is no one answer to your question. All companies have teething problems with every product. Some are more experienced and skilled at honing in on a great product faster than others. Some get it right before releasing a product, some don't. Some make changes to a particular airframe, some cut their losses and quit producing a bad design or airframe. The people who end up with these airframes buy them cheap down the road, then bash a manufacturers entire line because they got burned due to bad design, poor workmanship from the factory, bad workmanship from the builder, sometimes both. Airframes sometimes get overstressed, overpowered, take hard landings, etc. then fail in flight. Then comes the "XYZ manufacturer sucks" threads, brimming with the same old participants slugging it out til the mods "clean" the thread or just remove it.
If you wanna buy cheap, search out the exact plane you want to buy, as I have seen you do in the F16 thread. Read up on specific airframes you're interested in, and pick the one that seems the best choice to you. Be prepared to go through the entire plane, scrutinizing the build, glue joints, incidences and recommended setups. Use due dilligence, and you'll likely be fine with whatever you pick.
If you are willing to spend more up front, buy from one of several proven, reliable manufacturers that have great reputations. There are several of them. My favorite in this catagory is BVM. You will get a plane that is truly "Engineered for success", parts are a phone call away as is technical support and field rep assistance.
I'm building my first Fly Eagle jet right now. It has been well built, but there are still things that in my opinion that need to be changed, beefed up, etc. I can't comment on on it further until its flying, and I see how it does.
Sorry if the "use the search function" reply seemed trite, but sometimes it fits. Pitting XYZ vs. PDQ in a thread title is usually asking for a flame war. Sorry, but it gets old, and is the reason so many knowlegeable people have stopped posting on this forum.
Good Luck in picking something out,
Rusty