Good morning Mlw, I concur with what Tom has posted above. Where things start to go haywire is when the fellows start to choose and airplane type that is to big of a jump. One example is twins. A jump straight from a trainer to a twin especially a glow twin is seldom successful. There are many examples and here is one litmus test you can make that you may find handy in choosing a second and even a third airplane; its the wing, no not the wing shape but the thickness of the wing. Yes many common RC airplanes that have wings that seem to be thicker and they will tend to be far more forgiving and generally a better choice.

For example most of the so called scale aerobatic airplanes such as the many Extras, Sukhoi, Cap's and so on tend to have wings that are quite thin for their size (for those who care to know this is called the airfoils thickness ratio). These airplanes although may be quite good aerobatic types but will be poor transition airplanes and tend to be snappy in pull ups and approachs to land etc..

Now compare Sigs transition airplane called Something Extra also the Towers uproar not a scale type but neither is the something extra being what I call a characture airplane. On close examination you will find both a high thickness ratio in other words very thick wings. That makes these ships among other things very very safe to take to the edge. Both can be good choices.

Now just one further thought that I would like to suggest and that is trimming. The fellows I mentor before even solo I practice training them in trimming any airplane in flight and by themselves and practice this until they show reasonable proficiency in this necessary skill.

John