I suppose I enjoy kits although like so many here; I've just reentered the hobby after many years away. My memories of building model airplanes from balsa kits goes back to when I was in elementary school. Rubber band powered piper cubs skinned with tissue paper, later to profile balsa control line and then balsa sheeted Ranger 30 freeflights and many years later my first monokote covered Midwest Aerostar RC airplane. Thru it all I've had some kits with instructions barely legible, vague in direction to others like the Aerostar that actually taught me new methods such as drilling and tapping for bolt-on wings, etc. This year I'm on my 2nd ARF and completed one kit (Lanier Indicator) between these ARF's.

What strikes me as a great dissappointment is how no one seems to offer inexpensive, quality kits with thorough and clear illustrated instructions, properly sequenced with detail step-by-step procedures that lead to a flawless properly constructed model in the most simple efficient manner. Ever single one I read about (and there is no end) on these bulletin boards has builders correcting the deficiencies, making needed improvements, suffering from following instructions only to learn it dead-ended them down the line.

After all these years there simply is no excuse for it. Once a model is documented, published, distributed, and sold for a few years the manufacturer has ample time to seek feedback and make corrections. Once done they can replicate them at will at no additional cost. Why this isn't done by each and every one of them is beyond me.

Simply put, a "builder's kit" is a ripoff. The fact that those of you very talented and experienced can work around them unimpeded is no excuse. These folks probably can scratch build well too.

But for a person that just wishes to sit down, follow directions and enjoy the assembly process, gaining insight as to the inner workings and design as they go without having to shape the parts, jury rig and finagle at every turn...a kit should be the solution.

And I'm talking about good kits for .25-.60 size models that can use standard glow engines, inexpensive servos and no more than a 6 channel radio to be fully functional. And they should cost less than an ARF, much less.

Instead a newcomer getting a kit is well advised to first research for bulletin boards with threads detailing every step of constructing a model before acquiring a kit so that true hands-on builders explaining their encounters and what solutions they employed can be pondered before diving in. Even then one can anticipate dissappointment and frustration.

While I'm aware that these challenges will necessitate a builder arriving at solutions that will utimately create a more skilled modeler I have to wonder just how many more folks have abandoned the hobby early on as a result. While those of us that stick with it may appreciate and even admire seasoned modelers among us the industy is shooting itself in the foot in the meantime.

I've read great things about the Bruce Tharpe kits and the only one that truly interested me he discontinued before I learned of it. And the high quality and expensive giant scale offerings listed above are not anything I'm interested in.

Once I've assembled the two ARF's I have in possession I'm going to try a Sig Mid-Star. I've heard great things about SIG kits for years but have never built one. And I've already discovered a thread or two I'll consult in anticipation the plans and instructions are still deficient after all this time.

Regards,

Clay