In the August issue of RCM&E (on sale 3 July), Alex Whittaker discusses the design flaws and quality issues that flyers encounter when building and flying Almost Ready To Fly (ARTF) models.
 
The woefully insubstantial retractable undercarriage mount pictured here is one such example (the undercarriage was ripped out on the first gentle landing) common to many models that are built in large numbers yet sometimes with little thought as to their practical grass flying field operation and longevity.
But is it an isolated case?
 
Have you experienced a clear instance of poor design or construction? Perhaps a model supplied with fittings and parts that were inadequate? Why not log your findings and experiences in our new forum section dedicated to the subject. Click here to go there.
 
Naturally photographic evidence is useful and normal (pilot error) crash damage should be ignored unless the crash was caused by a manufacturing or design fault. Are poor ARTF traits restricted to just a few 'Friday afternoon' production examples? Perhaps some particular brands? Or are the problems reported by some symptomatic of a wider problem?