ORIGINAL: JohnW
However, knowing what I know now, I lean toward getting a traditional kit, becasue it teaches basic building techniques, proper plane setup, etc. In some respects I had the best of both worlds when learning to fly... I built a traditional kit but I was also in the air quick with a SPAD.
Bad advice...
If your beginner, what ever you do....do not build a traditional kit. Choose a balsa ARF...
If you build a traditional kit, you will fall in love with your plane, it will take you 5X longer to learn to fly than the guy with the ARF and about 10X longer than the guy with the SPAD. After you learn to fly, than learn to build. Make your second plane a scale warbird to get that out of your system.