I'm not going to get into a peeing contest with you but there is nothing wrong with a herd mentality when you are talking to beginners which is what this forum is and the OP asked what a good second plane was and the 4* is a good proven flyer. Also, the comparison you make between an $87 kit or a $119 ARF doesn't matter either. It is very good for a beginner to build simple kit to get acquainted with how these planes are put together and it gives them the skills to repair in case of a mishap. A lot of the guys at our field have never built a kit and cannot repair their ARF's when they have an accident. You may like to be individualistic and you may prefer ARF's because you may have been in the hobby for a long time but beginners need to be given straight simple answers so they don't get discouraged and I think the "herd" here will all agree that the 4* IS a good choice for second airplane. Of course there are many others but this is a stand-out design with a very good track record. By the way........I am a builder but I just bought an Escapade for everyday flying but it is a bit much for a second plane......it is very responsive and I would say that it probably a good third plane.

Cheers,
Andy