Typical ARF .40 size trainer: $99 (airplane only)

Typical kit for a .40 size trainer: $75 plus $30 for 2 rolls of covering (could cost $20 to $45... depends on whch covering) plus glue plus fuel tank plus spinner plus..... (should bother listing it all?) You end up AT LEAST $150 to get the equivilent aircraft.

Fokker Dr1 appx 1/5 scale kit: $150 plus $60 for covering materials plus $35 for wheels plus $30 for scale machine guns plus.... (ends up near $500)

GP Fokker Dr1 ARF... $250.

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For a lot of aircraft, you just can't beat the cost of the ARF.

There will be some imprvement in quality of the model if done by an experienced modeler rather than assembly line constructed. You are trading off control over quality of construction and choice of finishes and modifications that might have been possible for a quicker, less expensive way to get a model in the air.

Sometimes it a very good trade. (the Fokker Dr1 for sport flying.... most ARF trainers...) Sometimes its not the best deal... the quality of some of the scale warbirds leaves something to be desired. and there is no easy way to imporve the ARFs.