The only Arf that I thought was subpar was the H9 value series
Cherokee. The covering was close to that of shelf paper. One
day at the field in starting the plane I dropped the ni-starter, and
it went thru both top and bottom of the wing. That was the only
neg. out of the 4 or 5 I've owned. ANY of the production line ARF's
-- take the time ( maybe one hour ) and Ca / epoxy all joints. For
some reason the hot glue doesn't bond that well to the lite-ply.
Enjoy the ARF's for what they are -- a shortcut to get you in the
air with minimum construction -- but don't put all the blame on the manufacturer.