I enjoy competition.

But if your just your basic fun flyer, there's no real competition. I mean you go to the field with your latest build, and all you have to compete with , is if there's someone else who built the same plane...Now you don't even have that, if you put the latest ARF together all you have is a bunch of the same planes sitting on the flightline all looking exactly alike.

These planes would be great to BUILD, and then cover them in your favorite 2 colors... can anyone feel my pain?

When ARF's were becoming very popular a few years ago, many companies also sold "ARC" planes (Almost Ready to Cover)

Didn't seem to catch on though.

It seems covering is one of the biggest deterrents to building a kit. It is very time consuming if you are picky enough, but it really isn't difficult to shrink plastic onto wood with heat. I guess the thought scares most people out of building, or buying ARC's.

I have been seeing more and more old builders stripping the covering off there new ARFs and going through the air frame {read gluing} then recovering them in there own designs. Some fine looking ARFs when they are done and don't look like cookie cutter planes. When we could get ARC it was a lot easier to make up a stronger air frame and install controls, they didn't last too long.

Would a color streamer help?

I'm in the process of recovering a Global Blue Max ARF. I picked it up when Hobby People were selling them for 99 bucks. Couldn't stand the crappy blue covering on a vintage WWI style plane, so I decided to re do it in a more scale like cream. While I'm at it, I'm adding some scale/period details. Think Eindecker/Eder 40.

That being said, I love to build from kits and I also love "some" arfs just for their price and "get in the air tomorrow" convenience.