How hard is it to cut you own kit from plans?? Builders don't need kits, kits make it easier but if you do a search you can find the builders plans. I opened up one of my MAN plans catalog and right there in front of me is a 84 inch P-26A It's a Dan Santich design and {this is an old catalog} cost $35.00. Anyone needing smaller planes, they are out there too.
I keep harping on this subject but builders better be making up templates of any and all kits they buy so when they are no longer made we can keep them alive. It's not hard and going to be well worth the trouble in the future!!
Got an issue # or link to it Gray Beard? I'd like to look it over. Scale or semi-scale? I built a Seacruiser II from plans last year, and kept all the patterns I made. I had a blast with that one, since the plans didn't have patterns for
anything on it. Thoroughly enjoyable process. Built one for a club member last year, charged him for the balsa, and his 5 year old designed the covering scheme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fihPOQBsF2Q
That being said, the point wasn't about being able to cut and build from plans. A man with time, a saw, and dust mask can do that. It was a question of if builders or re-sellers were buying the old collector kits. You mashed the meaning of builder into the ability to slice balsa.
Seriously though, I would like to see those plans.