I'm learning on a NexStar that I bought from a mate complete with engine, and he loaned me the simulator and controller (transmitter) to get the feel for it before I took it up. My first flight (Dean, my instructor, took it up and trimed it out for me), I just did pretty wavey circuits then Dean landed it for me, my next flight , just after he handed me the transmitter the engine died but instead of taking over he talked me down to a dead stick landing on the runway, it was not a great landing by any stretch of the imagination but I was very happy I made it .
To cut a long story short, when you take all the crap off the wings, and completly remove the AFS? thing it's a very nice aircraft and the sim that comes with it is IMHO invaluable. Another point is, that you can do a horrendous amount of damage to this model and still repair it to (probably) better than original flying condition.
From what I have seen of it the original build is crap, but it hangs together well and any repair you have to make will most likely improve it.

Patrick