I prefer to build myself but recognise that most people just assemble ARTFs. I feel a stronger emotional bond to a model I have made or restored, than I ever will with an ARTF and I've assembled two of them so I know what I'm talking about.
However, "Courage et Confiance!" as General Joffre once said (before he wiped out half the youth and manhood of France,) all is not lost!
Over fifty of us decided to buy a short-kit known as the Webbit sold by Steve Webb Models of Frodsham, Cheshire. Steve, who suffers from arthritis, contributed £5 ($8US) to an arthritis research charity for every Webbit sold. Sixteen of us turned up to the RCM&E Fly-In at the Greenacres Club's site on Sunday to exhibit our Webbits and several more had turned up on the previous day.
If you visit
www.modelflying.co.uk then go to " Forum" then to the "Charity Mass Build 2011" section, then explore the threads, "Completed Webbit Gallery" and "Greenacres" amongst the other threads in that section, you'll see just what a super job so many have made of their models.
In the end I never got to fly my model, the "Wideline Webbit," it looked a bit too hot for me to maiden at a public event, so I removed the receiver and auctioned it off for £37 ($60) which was added to the sum raised for the charity.
I believe that we raised about £600 ($960) for Arthritis Research.
Picture of my inadequate effort attached.