Originally Posted by LLRCFlyer

The Apprentice comes in several sizes by E-Flite and HobbyZone. I have flown several of them and the larger, more powerful and heavier 1.5 meter E-Flite version does fly significantly better than the smaller ones. A student in my club started out on my Aeroscout S2 and then decided to get his own plane. He liked the sexier look of the large E-Flite Apprentice and bought it without having ever having seen one fly other than on a simulator. So far, he likes it just fine, but has not yet trained with it in gusty or strong wind conditions. The big Apprentice looks nice, is easy to fly and he is definitely making progress learning to fly it with a buddy box. He is young, has great vision and does not need a large plane in order to see it. The Apprentice will serve him well, but its larger wing and slower roll rate will also get it tossed around more in the wind. The E-Flite Apprentice is a fine trainer, but I still think he would have been better served with the Aeroscout S2 which costs $150 less and flies better in wind, plus the pusher motor and prop design of the HobbyZone Aeroscout S2 is more likely to survive the inevitable nose-strikes while learning to land. Agreed, the Aeroscout is not the beautiful model a teenager would want to hang up in their room and show off, but I still think it is the best trainer currently available, even without considering the lower cost. Just my opinion.....