I have both Aeroworks and Carden products. Both are very good quality, while being different in construction.

Carden kits are strong and sturdy, and fly excellent. Aeroworks kits are strong and lightweight, and fly excellent. Since both fly great, the differences can come down to construction and durability.

The Aeroworks kits build faster and easier. They are very lightweight, but are not as durable as a Carden. That is not to say that they fall apart in the air, its just that you need to be more careful in manhandling them in and out of the trailer/car/shop. The stringers on the bottom are not as strong as Carden's sheeted foam, but they are much much lighter. The Aeroworks planes fly light in the air, whcih can be very good for aerobatic competition. They are also very much like the Radiocraft planes, which also has an excellent reputation in the marketplace.

The Carden kits take more time to build. There is a ton of sheeting and foam to deal with. The overall plane is heavier than a Aeroworks or Radiocraft, but they still fly excellent. The weight gains have the advantage of making it more durable for handling.

Note that the Aeroworks and Radiocraft are more fragile in handling only. In other words, they do not fall apart in the sky because they are weak, rather, they can get damaged in transit if you are not careful where you rest the fuselage on the trailer mounts, etc. All three are very strong airframes for their intended purpose, which is heavy and hard aerobatics.

You really won't go wrong with either one, or actually, any of the three. I really like my Carden's, but I won't part with my Aerowork's either!