...thanks for the reply - i should have been more specific - i did mention that i preferred balsa...but would consider foam - i didn't mention a size preference...because anything from the size of my avatar on down (The Knife, 40 size fun fly which hovers with ease - i just want to do it with an electric) - size isn't critical - i'd really like to have a couple - something in the 10-25 oz. size range and something in the 2-4 lb. size range - my number one priority is that the plane hovers & harriers easily...

...there's so many choices...it's just hard to tell when you live in an area where you've seen NONE of them fly - you watch their advertising videos and it's still hard to tell how easily a plane hovers...because on the advertising video, you're watching some hot shot kid (who was a former national video game champion, who could fly with one hand tied behind his back) or you're watching Jason Shulman or some other former TOC competitor and he's flying some tricked out setup that i'll never be able to duplicate and he makes hovering the plane look easy - then the plane arrives and you find out the plane is very unstable in hover and you don't have close to enough power to hover, etc...

...that's the kind of problems i'm trying to avoid in making a $500 - $1,000 dollar decision...and i think it's tough - you can buy a fuel fun-fly 40, strap on a Saito .72 (and your whole setup can be ordered from one vendor), and it's relatively easy for an over 55 (that's me) flyer to hover - not so with electric...

...i'd like to be able to order it all from one vendor (probably not possible with electrics) and i'd like HALFWAY DECENT, ENGLISH INSTRUCTIONS - and i'd like to be able to set it all up without hours and hours of major modifications to mount the engine, etc...(i know, i ask a lot)...

...with my Firecat, after purchasing multiple battery packs, i had over $700 invested...and the instructions were PATHETIC! - i think it's somewhat of an insult to invest that much and get instructions that are almost non-existent (i've been in the hobby a lot of years (only 3 yrs. in electrics) and i was able to figure it all out and i really like the Firecat - still going with over 200 flights)...but still...do i expect too much?...

...IMO, Global has the best instructions, but they're 3D lineup right now is........well, name one - i read your Filton Flubber review - it sounded real interesting (i still haven't seen any videos of it hovering)...and then i read a post where the elevator joiners were missing out of all the Flubber kits, so that made me wonder about kit quality and how good the instructions would be with it...

...just having a hard time making a decision - any additional input would be appreciated (your Graupner Showflyer sounds cool but it's probably a little too big for my taste in electrics...and a little too pricey)...