I like the Eagle 2 the best because it does handle the wind pretty well. I like the idea of medium dihedral because the plane will not self-correct which is something that the pilot has to fight to make a turn. When I teach, I don't use a buddy-box. I've found that when I give the student the tx and tell him to not do a thing, I can easily monitor what his fingers are doing. By placing my thumb and forefinger underneath his thumb which is on top of the stick, I can prevent him from making any quick movements; at the same time feel exactly what his is doing and instantly correct his stick movements.

To demonstrate how stable the trainer is, I will bank the plane over and hold the tx without touching the sticks to show how the plane will make several turns completely on its own. So when I give the newbie the tx, I tell him not to do a thing. To make his first turn, I tell him to hold the stick over about an 1/8 of an inch for about a count of 3, and then go back to center. The other drill I do is have the student watch his thumb as he moves the stick as I watch the plane. I instruct him this way and that way he can see and feel at the same time what his thumb is doing so he can make a very smooth turn. In fact, my students fly much better when they fly this way. It is an instant cure to the banging sticks syndrome.

Of course this method takes some practice but makes teaching much easier and much less stressful, once it is learned. I've been very successful teaching this way for over 20 years, BTW.

Take care,
CCR
http://www.kites.org/rc_instructors