I'm a great fan of the Aircore. I started with a balsa trainer, and after putting significant repair work into some hard landings (not crashes), I decided the punishment did not fit the crime, and I got the Aircore trainer. Without the nervousness produced by the fragile balsa trainer, I learned fast and absolutely had a ball with the Aircore. (I didn't really have a qualified instructor, just a friend and a buddy box.)

I now mostly fly Spads, but I recommend the Aircore still in some situations: First the Aircore is a kit, and you can glue it with CA without any prepping of the coro. Spads are essentially scratch built planes. Second, the Aircore design is superb at protecting the engine and radio equipment. The reason is that the "power cartridge" is only held in by tiny screws. In a crash, these screws tear loose and take up the impact force on the nose of the plane. Third, compared to a gutter pipe fuse, the coro fuse of the Aircore makes it almost indestructible (yes, I know there are coro fuse Spads).

Caveats: As others have said, it needs a BB .46. The Aircore is relatively heavy for a trainer, so it lands faster, and is a little sluggish in responding to controls (which is actually a good thing in a trainer). As mentioned, the Aircore is a kit (and the instructions have quite a few errors). It's much easier to build than a balsa kit, but you still need to be handy and able to follow instructions. Be sure to watch the video since it includes information not in the manual.