It sounds like you has a good time even with the setbacks. The Champ is pretty much an indoor plsne. You'll need to wait for calm days to fly it. For outdoor use, you really need something bigger.
I'll encourage you to work with an instructor going forward. Simulators are a great tool, but there is no substitute for having a real person mentor you in this hobby. Yes, it will cost you song time, maybe some money. But it won't be nearly as much as the repairs and lost planes you'll deal with doing this hobby alome.