RE: Bizarre plane behavior
To give a straight answer to your question about going to another plane and using this engine, it's not practical to do so. If you want to stay with small planes, .15-.25 size glow engines designed for RC are plentiful and cheap, and electric components that make similar power are getting that way. You'll spend more in balsa and covering doing repairs in the long run than you would in getting an appropriate power plant. As for plane recommendations, I have a Parkzone Stryker that is my go to windy day belly lander. It practically flies itself and is fast enough to be fun.