You also have to keep in mind that individual manufacturers have "bad days". As an example, I put together a GreatPlanes .40 size AT-6 Texan about a year ago. Fit and finish were absolutley fabulous. I mean everything fit just like it was suppose to, everything lined up, it balanced perfect and it looked great. I lost that plane in a mid-air and built another immediately because I liked it so much. The second one was absoutely terrible. The wood quality was questionable, the covering didn't match, nothing fit ... and I mean NOTHING ... I had to make 1/16 filler shims to make the wing pockets/joiners fit correctly. I mean this thing was a pice of junk. I am sure that I could've sent it back and got another with no questions ask but I was in a hurry to get an AT-6 back in the air so I "fixed it" heck even the hinge slots for the CA hinges were cut at an angle (used small robarts in their place ). Bottom line, The first one was a great airplane but the one I have now flies 100 times better than the first. I am sure it is because of the time I put into it making sure things were "right".

I have built ARFs from a variety of manufacturers and I have to say that each one has their "good ones" and thier "bad ones". It's the ones that have a higher percentage of good ones that make it.