ORIGINAL: abufletcher
The other thing I'd like to say to "first-timers" is that building a kit isn't brain surgery. All you have to do is get is "almost right" and it will probably fly just fine.
If that weren't true I would have never made it. Still, the point is what is reasonable to expect from a kit (or an ARF) based upon advertised specs, contents, and hype. And if a kit has been around for 40 years and still in production - there just is no excuse for sloppy materiels, hardware, and anything less than a pristine well illustrated set of plans and instructions. Only a new kit still in the "beta" phase would be lacking as the manufacturer obtains first hand feed back and makes adjustments.
If a person is just lazy or impatient and doesn't care to take or make the time to construct a kit they shouldn't start one. But struggling with poor materials or vague incomplete instructions is just plain wrong. It shouldn't even be sold as a kit, just sell the plans and and leave the rest up to the builder.
Clay