That in itself is an interesting topic...

Kit or scratch-built?

I scratch-built too, but I also enjoy the kits. It's just so much more convienient and precise to get a kit.

Yeah, it can get expensive, but your paying for a precision-cut ready to assemble kit, hardware, and a manual that someone had to write up. You'll probably spend that much if not more buying all the hardware you need for a foamy.

Ive priced the carbon fiber and control horns you would need to build a shocky just like what it has in the kit. Just the carbon alone would almost justify the cost of the kit. You dont even want to know what the Tensor4D would cost. Just the carbon tube for the landing gear is about $10 bucks, and thats just the tube...no wheels or attachments. Then their is about 12 bucks worth of foam. About 20 bucks worth of carbon reinforcements, plus all the control horns, music wire, wheels, tape, paint, plywood for the motor mount....It easily would cost more than the kit.