And while I agree with much of what Jester just said, I do have to look at the subject with some trepidation. As a boater, I see many "new boaters" that want a RTF boat because it's plug and play-there is no commitment of time and minimal amounts of cash. I, on the other hand, want a quality boat that's not just slapped together and that can survive a hit if necessary. My present boat, being a fiberglass 1/8 scale hydroplane, was laid up 14 years ago and has taken it's share of crashes, collisions and such. It's only survived because the guy that did the lay up used quality materials and took the time to do it right. The guy that assembled it was the same way, took the time to make sure it was done properly and laminated plywood to areas of the hull to strengthen it as well as make the boat run better. So, how does this relate to aircraft? You look at the people that show up at the flightline and what they are flying. Some have home built planes that have been lovingly maintained and built, some being many years old. The rest have cookie cutter ARFs and foamies. Which group is going to stay around and who will drop out when the fascination wears off or their plane crashes? If all you invest is a little cash and put no real time into your aircraft, other than assembling the prefabricated parts, what motivates you to stay in the hobby if something goes wrong? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If, on the other hand, you have taken the time to build something, the odds of you staying in the hobby and being a bit more careful with your work of art will have grown exponentially to the time and costs needed to build your plane.