I would also suggest going with a small electric plane. A good example is the shockflyer. It is very compact, and can do just about every maneuver in the book. The ARF is only 40 or 50 bucks, but a nice brushless power system is gonna set you back another $250-$300. It is definitely worth it. I'm running the AXI 2208/34 with a 10x4.7 prop on a Thunder Power 2S1P 860mah LiPo. It has rocketing vertical and its been great to learn 3D with it.

Just my $0.02,
Mike