I agree 100%. I too have been disapointed more than once after buying an ARF.
The folks who believe that to have a great plane , one must build it from a kit ........they still build them from a kit or scratch.
Nothing has changed there that I see. Many of the warbird modelers build from a kit or from plans to ace that scale look to the T.
Times change. The world is all about instant gratification and fast fixes. When you two started flying I bet nobody offered anything such as a RTF model did they ? Now I see ARFs starting to come out that only need the tail feathers and wing halves attached before you can start flying. I forsee more of the same in the future. But the kit will remain for those that are true modelers.
There are some great ARFs out there. And a few companies that are breaking the mold in ARF production.
I ordered an Edge-540 from a Canadian/U.S company called VectorFlight not long ago. I've been very pleased with the plane.
But on the other hand, I've bought one or two that I won't name here,, that either fell apart in mid air or one that rotted , warped and fell apart over the winter. And it was only one season old.[:'(]