ORIGINAL: malecki
I wouldn't think it would be "easy", The hull is hand made wood rib construction. I know that can't be easy what so ever, not saying anything about the time constructing it. Heck this can be on the water, just by adding a radio gear. This isn't a bad deal, if you purchased a fiberglass hull, that alone is $150 to $180. Not counting the other things a new comer wouldn't have to do, cutting out the windows (itchy part), making the stiffing tubes, installing the tubes, figuring out the rudder system, placement of engines, water proofing wood, superstructor construction, etc... Okay $230.00 for what it is and everything that is done, it's a steal.
Your experience may be different than mine, but I've found that it's pretty easy to cut patterns out of plywood with a scroll saw, & assemble them into a ship's frame. I've done that part in as little as a weekend, including time for glue to set. Rudder & stuffing tubes are pretty easy to set, especially if you plan for it from the beginning. I'd consider it to be worth about $75-80 in materials, less if scraps are used. Most of that $230, then, is for somebody else's labor to assemble the thing.
ORIGINAL: malecki
You have to agree that installing the radio, pump, and weapons is very easy, and a beginner can get the feel of the hobby right away, plus have pride in what they have done.
I have to agree to no such thing. Making all of the inter-related combat systems work well together can be a real challenge. I can usually get them all to work pretty easily by using "standard" methods, but there are always issues that come up to make something fit where it needs to go or work the way I want it to. I also usually like to push the envelope somewhere or other, to see if I can get something to work better, but that's another matter entirely. Again, your experience may be different, but mine is that when beginners see a bunch of electrical & pneumatic parts, wiring diagrams, & CO2 plumbing diagrams, the "deer in the headlights" look is pretty common. Most beginners I've known have had R/C experience limited to RTF aircraft, where they didn't have to know how to do anything except charge batteries.
I've bought 1 used ship myself, & seen maybe 5 or 6 others come into our club from outside. Every time, the 1st thing that the new owner does is strip it bare & rebuild it up the way they want it. In the process, there are always plenty of "Why did he do it THAT way?" moments & plenty of head-scratching. The net result is almost always more time spent to complete, not less. What if the original builder placed the motors right in the way of something combat-critical, like a gun? I'd have to rip the motors & who-knows-what-else out to make room - I've seen that exact thing happen before more than once. Personally, I always mount guns as early in the build process as I possibly can, because they have to go where they have to go, & everything else needs to fit around them. Buying a ship that's "complete except for the guns" is a red flag, & a good indicator that the original builder may not have known what they were doing.
The only way I'd buy that thing would be if I wanted that exact ship (I don't even know what it was), & wanted it right now just to sail around (non-combat). Even so, I'll bet I could build one in less time than it takes the guy to ship that one to me, & for a lot less money.
JM