RE: Suggestions for my 1st balsa plane?
My largest electric is a GP Sportster EP. I bought it about 4 years ago when it was still running a 550 brushed motor as the stock power plant. It was a realistic flying plane on that setup, but not all that exciting.
Recently I upgraded it with a 470W brushless from Hobby King with a 40 Amp speed control and a 3s1p 2200mah lipo and a 750mah onboard pack (no bec). I've seen that the Sportster can be bought without a motor now, which is awesome. My Sportster is AUW at 42 ounces and vertical performance is unlimited on a 10x7 prop with about a 60 MPH top speed. It will go for about 7-8 minutes with fairly spirited flying and probably could do 10 minutes at half throttle. I'm sure it can be done for under $250 if you get a power package from one of the Chinese suppliers. IMO every sport flyer should have a Sportster in their stable, it's a timeless design and has proven itself as a very solid performer for decades.