No matter how you configure the Nexstar, with our without the gizmo's, it's a fine trainer. It does well with or without them. It is a strong aircraft.. I pretty much beat up mine, as most student pilots do, when learning. I busted a lot of props, that's for sure.. I'd buy them in bags of five..
. So, no matter how you configure it, it will do well as a trainer.
Now, just to qualify that statement, I've flown about 5 separate trainers, two as a student, and three others well after I solo'ed. Two were designated as "club trainers". I destroyed one by forgetting to raise the antenna.. dumb mistake, but it happend after I was flying 2.4 GHz for a while and, well, I simply forgot to raise it.
Anyway, use it with everything, with just the droops, or the brakes, or nothing at all. After flying it with everything, then removing the droops, then the brakes, and making a few trim adjustments to the elevator trim, it flew just fine.
CGr.