ARFs are manufactured by workers who aren't exactly people you'd call "modelers". Chances are good none of them have any idea about wood selection. Back when modelers built their models, there was a lot of attention to that. Lots of articles in the magazines mentioned what type grain should be used for certain parts and what strength wood was needed for parts where that mattered. From the same experience you've just described, it really appears to me that there is a good probability the workers over there don't have that information, or don't have the option to reject heavy or too weak pieces. Look around, poorly selected wood is often the cause of a fairly high percentage of the ARF crashes reported by us, isn't it.

I'd bet your little piggy just happened to be made the day that factory was using a load of heavy wood.

Or maybe your porker is one that actually got all it's joints glued.

They're problems that apparently come with the territory. ok........ come with relying on someone else to build for us. We have a different set of things to learn about modeling nowadays with ARFs being what's flown, as opposed to the set of lessons we had to learn as builders/flyers.

One of my clubs runs a really big swap meet every November. Last couple, I had a different, really nice looking ARFs for sale. Very few flights, no crashes, new servos etc........ lightened as much as could be done........... good price............ Sold 'em and moved on. It's a modeling trick I learned since getting back into the hobby and discovering the same thing you've just discovered. I'm optomistic that the mfg's will someday teach their workers skills that'll benefit us more. Truth is, a couple of the better mfg's might already be doing so. At least buying an ARF from a mfg with a good reputation is a better bet you'll get fewer problems.