Stu, I think you hit the nail on the head. Build times for a plane already built are much shorter than a kit. I love building but there are times where I wish I had a plane flying faster than my schedule allows. Plus you are going to spend the same in the end on a kit you build yourself as an already flying specimen. You won't know the plane as well as some of us here but you have lots of help on the forum. Get your building itch scratched with building floats. I would have loved to build floats but I know I will never end up doing that once I have a flying plane. Goodluck!