RE: How do I pick the next plane ?
Sport. On the other hand, you can always fly a 3-D plane as sport but not vice versa. (Ultimate biplanes make great sport fliers). I fatally treed my Goldberg Hot Stik and up 'till then it was the best of both worlds. A Stik on low rates and a spastic 3-D on high rates. I had it on skis at a winter fly and misjudged a killer maple. Now sadly discontinued. TowerGreatPlanesHobbico was to Goldberg what that tree was to my Hot Stik. Large, unforgiving and hungry.
But I sure love my Giant Super Sportster. It does everything I need a model to do. If I wanted a helicopter I could have bought one.
Oh heck, get one of each.