My plastic Lanier TR-260 was not as difficult to assemble as Glen's Comet, and I had a handle on the tank & hardware demands when I bought it. At the time, I could not have asked for a better plane. I was only in my second year, as I recall, and I needed to learn a lot. The TR-260 fulfilled that purpose, in spades! On a Magnum .46 I learned to do four point rolls and a little inverted flight, and was doing the IMAC Basic pattern maneuvers. That plane was $58 (a closeout special,) and I think you can still get them for something like $70.

If I ever have time & space, I'll probably try another, just for nostalgia. I see a paint manufacturer is advertising some spray paint that sticks to plastic, and when I saw the ad I was thinking about a more elaborately decorated TR-260!

Good plane, not all that difficult to work with, and actually pretty durable.

Good luck,
Dave Olson