Hobbico's Sturdy Birdy II equipped with a Super Tigre .51 is a plane that can survive the demands that a novice will put it through. I would purchase the Futaba EXA 6 channel as a good starter radio. The airplane runs around $60 and replacement wings are $23 although I hit a four-inch post at full speed without so much as breaking the wing. I've rolled it down the runway, got it stuck 40' up in a pine tree and ground the landing gear off it more times than I care to recall, but I was able to teach myself........here in the proverbial "sticks" where no one flys RC. If you have a club nearby........by all means........utilize it! I can't imagine what it's like shooting the breeze with a great bunch of guys and gals that have this great hobby in common with one another. Go for it! Stick with it! You won't regret it!