Define building. Sounds difficult but I'll give 'er a shot. At one time kits were the ARF's of their day just like RTF's are the ARF's of our day.

We've known modelers that claim they can build and they kinda' do but you wouldn't be a proud owner of the level of craftsmanship seen evident in their creations unless you didn't know better. This statement is in no way directed at anybody or any one person - just something witnessed over the years.

This trait can be seen in all forms of aeromodeling whether it be sport, competition, or scale. Measuring with a micrometer, marking with a grease pencil, and cutting with an axe doesn't really impress at all. The time and labor may show good intentions but if intended straight lines aren't straight, perpendicular lines aren't perpendicular, parallels aren't parallel, rounds aren't really round - a discerning, trained eye sees these things. These details I'm talking about include alignment and rigging. I've seen scale labors of love built from scratch-drawn-plans with a multitude of detail that looked great from distance but the closer you got, the more faults that became apparent. Even scratch-"builders" don't necessarily exhibit the craftsmanship-like abilities of a good builder.

Just as everyone can follow instructions and assemble an ARF, everyone could follow instructions and assemble a kit. Its just that many don't have the patience or desire to do so. Thinking "building" really comes into play when the modeler develops skills through experience, through repetition, through training, through education, then really learns how to use the tools at their disposal, and can "see" and tell when something is straight or perpendicular, or round and judge the center-point of something only using measuring tools to confirm their suspicion for example. Its when someone goes above and beyond merely ending up with what the manufacturer of a kit intended - like a lighter than spec airframe, improvements in design or flight characteristics, or artistry shown in the execution of a complementary color scheme - where I think "building" really comes into play. Knowing how to look at something, how to approach an unusual task, construct a fixture, design something to improve or simplify a problem, paying attention to details (e.g. alignment/rigging, CG, angle of incidence, getting rid of weight - not adding lead), and implementing craftsmanship is where "building" is truly building.

Let's just say some modelers assemble ARFs better than other modelers "build" kits.