I am sure that you read the advice above, but here I will summarize it for you:

Have someone with experience look it over. Either someone in a club near you (I imagine there should be one in Charleston, not too far from you) or at a hobby shop.

For the best airplane to buy, look for an instructor and see what he/she recommends. There isn't a best when it comes to a basic trainer. They are all good. Also ask at the hobby shop.

Flying model aircraft is a lot of fun. But if you have to worry about the equipment, that adds another component to the learning process. It is much better to have everything checked out so that you can be trained easier. If the battery looks good to you but only lasts for 5 minutes under load, you will end up replacing the airplane that crashed, along with the battery, and maybe everything.

Yes you may have gotten some good stuff for free. Or you may have gotten junk. Get some help from someone that can actually help you look things over. We do not know ( how can we? ) based on descriptions that you have given.