Mike, I have to disagree with you on this one. I was initiated into the hobby in the 70's, so I've had my share of building and I still enjoy building.
In my book, to say that the term "Quality ARF" is an oxymoron is a bit of a stretch.
Considering that I've put together 4 ARFs for a total cost LESS than I would have had to spend had I built from a kit or scratch is quite a statement when you consider that these planes are all good quality. Not only did I spend less money, I also saved uncounted hours of building that I simply do not have.
I'll be the first to admit that there are some really crappy ARFs out there for sale. But give credit where it's due. The "quality" ARFs I've "assembled" include:
Hobbico Avistar RTF (not really an ARF, but the next step up). 50-60 flights so far and not a single problem. Still looks almost new.
H9 Aresti. Nothing spectacular but flies very nicely - low-speed stable, and looks great.
Lanier Edge 540T 1/4 scale. Even though most of the supplied hardware was trash and the LG block needed some beefing up, it's a great plane.
Kyosho SenSation 1400. Really nice plane. Beautiful finish.
The Kits I've managed to complete since re-joining the hobby:
None.
Sig SE almost ready (two more weekends?)
GP Cub 60 (2-3 more weekends?)
Sig four-star 60 (4-5 more weekends?)
But, alas, those weekends aren't available.
-the bradster