Firehawk, welcome to RCU!. Add me to the list of those recommending instruction if you're going to go with a glow plane. Some people have been able to learn on their own, but many more give up in frustration after spending time and $ going through several cycles of fly (for a few seconds), crash, and repair (often by buying replacement parts). If you've already got experience with a park flier and on a simulator, you should be able to solo quickly. Even if you need to drive a few hours to get to a field with an instructor, you'll spend less time and money than crashing and repairing your plane trying to learn alone. You'll also make some new friends, and have a few people to call on when you need help with something.

You talked about reading good things about a plane, and waiting for a review on another plane. I suspect you are talking about magazine reviews. If so, take these with a grain (a huge grain) of salt. It's quite uncommon to see a negative review of anything in a magazine. Since the reviews are of their advertiser's products, it's hard to imagine them saying anything really bad about a product. The same thing goes for the guy behind the counter at a hobby shop. Many of them are genuinely interested in giving you the best product for your situation. Others are highly motivated to sell you what they've got. It's hard for a beginner to know which type they are talking to. The best way to tell the difference is to ask questions. Does the guy fly? If not, what experience does he go by to make his recommendations. What does he say when you ask about alternatives? If he immediately dismisses them, and just keeps pushing the same product, most likely he's just trying to move inventory. Of course it could also be based on experience that this package really does work well, combined with a lack of interest in helping new people learn. Some of the people in hobby shops are there to sell and others do it because they love the hobby. Sometimes the ones who love the hobby have been doing it so long they've lost touch with what it's like to be a beginner, and may not show as much patience as they should. Note, do not try to get information from the hobby shop when there are lots of customers lined up. Pick a time when it's not busy so they have some time to talk.

Anyway, the RTF setups are ok, although I personally dislike them. You can get just as good a plane with better components if you choose an ARF, engine, and radio by yourself. If you want someone else to make the choices for you, get an RTF. I'm also not crazy for many of the combo packages, quite often I've been able to price the same components for a lower price, or better components for the same price. This topic has been discussed in excruciating detail here in RCU. I encourage you to do some searches and read through the many threads you will find on this subject. Then you will be prepared to make the choice that's right for you.