This kind of digs up the old argument about ARF's in the this hobby. I know there are going to be viewpoints from all sides on this, but this is something to think about. When a new person in this hobby gets a RTF plane they just don't have any knowledge of what to look for. In the days when they built their plane they would at least have to put everything on, yes it's true that a lot did it incorrectly, but they learned by doing it incorrectly and fixing it when pointed out by an instructor. Even with an ARF they still have to put together the major assemblies of the plane. But in an RTF they just pull it out of the box, charge it, fuel it, and fly it. They don't know what to look for, and if an instructor misses it or doesn't show them then they have no clue what's going on. Unfortunately I don't see this changing anytime soon in the hobby.

I know this may sound a bit cold, but I've used this to my advantage. I don't know how many times I've seen a pilot crash an ARF/RTF, which is usually a minor crash, but because they don't know how to repair the plane they will just shove it into the trash can at the field. I will pull it out, take it home, and repair it. Now in my defense, after I repair it I will offer it back to the pilot who crashed it for a small fee for my time and materials in repairing it. If they don't want to buy it like that then I have a new plane. I've probably had 10 or 12 like that in the last few years.

I guess that's the cost of convenience for having an ARF/RTF. It's the cost of having an "instant" society.

That's my 2¢ worth

Ken