Most folks go with a so called 40 sized plane. 60 size will also work well if you want a bit of extra size.

If you want a high wing trainer type plane, the Sig LT 40 is hard to beat. It is a large 40 size but will fit in most cars. You can fly it on pretty much any .40 2 stroke, even a less expensive one. Climbs nicer with a .46. I use a .52 4 stroke on this type of plane. It’s an easy build with excellent instructions with photos.

Sig Kadet and Kadet Seniorita are awesome trainers but they have a complicated sort of bird cage rear fuse and are a hard build. Same thing with the Telemaster series.

The 4 Stars are great. Get some decent aerobatics on high rates but they fly smoothly, nearly like a trainer, and land slowly. 40 and 60 size are both good.

For the 60 size, Bruce Tharpe, designer of the 4 Star, has done an upgrade called the BTE Venture. It flies great and the kit is the best you will find anywhere, hand cut not lasered. Bruce at btemodels.com is on another project now but hopes to cut some more Venture kits by end of the year.

The Goldberg Tiger II or Tiger 60 is often overlooked and most excellent. It has the same thick symmetrical wing as the 4 Star and shares the same performance envelope. Landings are very slow and smooth and a beginner could learn on this plane with an instructor. I’d fly the Tiger (or 4 Star) on a 2 stroke 46 or a 4 stroke 60. Don’t need an expensive hot rod engine here.

One major point is the Tiger is a very easy build. It has a box fuselage with self aligning tabs and nearly falls together. Probably the best build of any of these planes.

Good luck on your first build. It is a great part of the hobby.

Tom