I learned how to fly with a Nexstar and I don't have anything bad to say about the airplane. I'm tired of hearing all the bad things people say about it. I'm still flying mine and enjoying it. taking the speedbrakes off is not a bad idea, you don't want them when you start learning to land, it can fly too slow. I agree to leave the AFS unhooked, you would just have to fight it anyway. I have been flying for just over a year now and have flown other trainers and can say none of them fly better or are tougher than my Nexstar. As long as you follow their guidelines for the replacement guarantee they honor it with no problems. That's how I know it will fly to slow with the speedbrakes, I got slow enough to not have enough airflow over the control surfaces. But, that was pilot error not the plane. Have your instructor help you add some throw to the ailerons. Mine had a very slow roll rate with the factory settings. And DO NOT leave the rudder hooked to the ailerons with a Y harness. Take the wing droops off when you are ready to start doing rolls and flying inverted, they really make the plane want to fly upright. And practice trimming it in flight, you will need to when you take the droops off.

I have had five planes since all but one are flyable (one requires minor repairs) if I could afford enough engines and flight packs.