I never learnt on a buddy box - I just had a guy next to me, ready to grab the radio if thing were looking dire - but as cublover said, if you got around by yourself, bits of interlinking wire aside, that's damn close to a solo.

If you're looking for an ARF second plane, you might like to look at the World Models Sky Raider Mach II - it's a low wing plane at an excellent price, and WM has a great reputation for build quality.

And I gotta agree - damn b]cublover[/b], that's a nice looking aircraft.