Dylan,
Sorry, I couldn't resist
Chances are 50/50 that I would have gone into an instructor sermon if you hadn't included that caveat, for I did fall into the dark side and became one
And thanks for the links.
I'm going to go on a limb and say I like the BeginAir route since you seem to want to fly aerobats, ie more conventional planes which can take up to four servos. You'll have a radio system that will most probably "grow" into your next plane and the 8 cell 1000mAh battery allows you more choices. For all the planes, I think early on you'll find the roughly 10 minutes on one pack very limiting, and end up buying another battery pack or two (maybe more) along with a 12V charger quick field charger, making it more important to think about the future.
In reading the RCU review I didn't see a connector on the back for a sim, but I'll take your word for this and another reason for this preference. The controls will be reversed when the plane flys toward you, and most beginners will tend to overcontrol the sticks, so this will give you a fighting chance. BTW most planes are flown aileron/elevator/throttle and some people find the transistion from 3 channels to 4 almost like re-learning how to fly. A couple of people I know have used the bunny hop method, ie short hops to get used to the controls successfully.
I haven't commented on the WingDragon since I'm not convinced that the wing is transferable as you are considering, please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, the radio is only 3 channels, so you'll end up buying another new one anyways. This might be a good middle of the road route though. I'd only get the Scout if that was the only plane I'd ever wanted to fly, or feeling very timid about flying.
Anyways, these are my 2 cents worth, and I'd take it as that. Ultimately and obviously the decision is yours but I would like to say that no matter what happens keep at it and you'll make it fly! Took me 3 planes to learn how to fly and land, friend of mine did the same and hasn't crashed yet.
Good luck!