I did loose my Ultra Stick a few weeks ago after 71 flights, over 14 hours of flight time and 185 landings. The reason was dumb thumbs, however, I made good use of it and feel I got my moneys worth. I won a Hanger 9 P-40 Warhawk and bought a Funtana .40 to replace the stick. Both are ready to go and I did get 6 flights on the Funtana, before the weather finally changed to winter here in Northern Minnesota. I have always felt building was 1/2 the fun of this hobby and am building from plans a .40 sized "THE HOTS" and am considering the purchase of a Dynaflite SE5A. Yes, ARFs are good airplanes now and may even be cheaper than many kits. However, I will always love to build!, So, you don't necessarily have to go with an ARF!