The NexStar came out a couple years after I already learned to fly so for me it was never a consideration. As an overall package I think it is quite impressive. You have to hand it to Hobbico, they seemed to think of everything when designing this one. Thats not to say, however, that the NexStar is perfect. To be fair, every plane whether it is a trainer or a full bore 3D aerobat is a compromise to some extent.

lyotchic, you mentioned the tendancy for the NexStar to drop its nose when you use the rudder. This isn't a defect of any kind. As a matter of fact, many planes share this trait - it isn't limited to trainers either. This is what is often referred to as rudder coupling. Some planes suffer from it more than others. The really clean flyers don't have it at all. The ones that don't have it, however, are typically pattern or aerobatic planes - way too advanced for a beginner. You will often see guys mention it when judging the flight characteristics of a new aerobatic plane. A really good one won't have this characteristic. Others will pitch toward the belly or canopy during knife edge flight. Mixing on a computer radio is typically used to eliminate minor coupling.

Ok, back to the NexStar. If there is something I tend not to like about it is all the gimmicks tacked on. The wing cuffs and speed breaks are often looked at as band-aids for poor flying by many veteran flyers. Not to mention the AFS system. Most instructors tend to hate it and wind up turning it off. I tend to agree in these areas. I tend to feel that a plane that reacts to the student's inputs in unnatural ways is only going to slow the leaning process. A newbie doesn't have the skills to recognize when the AFS is kicking in yet so in a way it is an unnatural way for the senses to "learn" how to control the plane. To top it off, it isn't the cheapest way to get started.

On the plus side, the NexStar definitely makes it easy to get started. The simulator is always a good idea. The plane is definitely one of the better looking trainers out there - most look like a flying box! It generally flys very well for what it was designed for and although a bit on the pricy side, all the equipment is of very good quality.

The simple fact is the market is full of good trainers. The NexStar isn't the best flying of the bunch or the worst. It will serve its purpose like most of the other trainers out there (very few are actually bad) but like most trainers, once you have leaned to fly, you will be looking to move on.