RE: What Makes a Good Beginner Plane???-See Here (&download PDF in Post#1)
PS. Here's a good example of a plane NOT to get for a beginner. Only $38 (plus shipping) for the EPO flat-plate plane, plus motor and ESC. Great deal, and I've had ton of fun with it. I've crashed it about a dozen times, with about 5 of those being serious crashes. It's been repaired a lot but taken the abuse relatively well. Much better than a balsa plane to learn 3D on, strictly due to PRICE AND DURABILITY. Once you graduate from this one though, I will admit balsa will handle better and be more crisp, and a full airfoil beats a flat-plate. Nevertheless, awesome plane (for an INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED flyer).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyqrlkpBXmY[/youtube]