Since the advent of the high dollar composite structured models with molded in rivets and panel lines has been accepted into the world of Top Gun and Scale Masters, I think someone who takes a run-of-the-mill ARF and details it by adding their own rivets and panel lines, or rib tapes and stitching, modifying the outline to bring it closer to true scale, re-covering it with a prototypical cover (read that as tearing off the MonoKote and putting real fabric on it) should have an equal consideration in a head-to-head competition. Otherwise, require the guys who bring the composite planes to lay up their own carbon fiber fuses and wing sections if they want to equally compete with the guys who built their plane from sticks. If the ARF'er can make a silk purse from a sow's ear, he should be allowed to put it up equally against the designer stuff.

What I see as most unfair in competition is the one who hires out his entire build and then competes with the finished product as his own, even though it's stated he didn't build it. That's like buying a brand new Ferrari and competing against the guys who restored a junker and did the work themselves. The big pockets tend to have the advantage over the shoestring builders regardless of who has the greater talent, and I think the whole thing deteriorates to ego tripping.