I have a duraplane 40, and the plane is of course very durable. I have done many modifications to it with switching it to a taildragger, and back to a nose gear, trying different size control surfaces. Anyways, back to the main point, The plane is a bit heavy for an OS.40 fp, and thus cannot climb well. Stalls are uneventful when balanced correctly. The plane is very responsive with the elevator, but the ailerons are not "touchy" at all when set to normal throw's. I use mine constantly for training new students, and they seem to learn on it quite nicely. The body has never been damaged, but I have ordered 3 wings at $14 a piece. A great 1st plane for those that are worried about breaking their investment. I am about to build a SPAD wing for mine (www.spadtothebone) for greater performance. Hope this helps.