Mike,

It isn't really an issue of money, it's about manufacturing - specifically advances in assembly. I did query our contractor about basic builders kits and the quote I recieved amounted to an end retail price difference that was insignificant, something over $100. The major manufacturing expense in high end planes is the production of composite structures which isn't something the home builder can do anyway.

I have nothing against builders, but I have to work in the environment that exists. The choice between, say, offering a $700 kit that is little more than a set of sheeted wings plus composite parts versus offering an $800 kit that is already built including hardware doesn't allow much in the way of realistic options.

Lee Davis
[link=http://www.piedmontmodels.com]Piedmont Models[/link]