RE: Our first plane
I would suggest the first thing to do is look for a club. A club will be invaluable in gaining information and learning how to fly since most clubs have an instructor pilot. It would also be helpful to know what is the favored brand of radio and trainer equipment for that area so you can acquire something that is compatible with what others in the club have.
Go to [link=http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx]AMA club search[/link], input your zip code and see what clubs are near you. There's a pretty good chance you'll also be able to pick up on a used trainer and radio in really good condition through one of the local clubs.
As far as getting something that looks scale for a trainer, scale planes generally fly like scale planes no matter what they are and don't make good trainers - a WWII fighter or something as simple as a Cub. You're better off staying away from one for your primary trainer and getting a plane that is designed from the outset as a trainer.
As stated above about Hobby King - it can be a gamble when you buy from any company in China since customer service is for the most part not in their vocabulary. I too have ordered from HK, but you have to figure if it arrives defective, missing or broken they be prepared to eat it since it will not be replaced or repaired- with the rare exception you're prepared to send it back to China for them to see if they'll honor the warranty. But the shipping back to China is not cheap.
Hogflyer