Personally Idon't likeARF's. I also can't stand some idiot coming up to me at the flight line asking whose ARF my custom designed, constructed and finished thoroughbreds are. I don't answer dumb questions like that on principle alone.

HOWEVER, some aerobatic ARF's, dare it be said, have come quite a way in terms of quality. Quality to memeans excellent, preciseconstruction at a lighter weight, from good materials.

Look at Extreme Flight's planes for example. These are well designed (in US) and constructed (in China) models. The owner of EF took the required time and made the effort to teach exactly what he wanted in his planes to the Chinese builders. Even if he made kits available not many kit builders can buildthe kit of any of these models as well. Why? Because when companies get serious about running an ARF campaign of, say, 250 planes, the building company will often build assembly jigs. Not only do assy jigs facilitate assembly and quicken the construction, they provide the means to buildwith great precision.....

One more intangible thing is emotional attachment. Labors of love can hurt when they eat dirt. Plunking down money for something hurts much much less when the something bites the dust. Some might even say it doesn't hurt at all but as always, YMMV