Wow! A pretty definate damning of the poor old Aerobird series there - just because you can't rip the guts out. In fairness, I would say what I always say to people who ask this question (I'm new: which plane?). The answer you get depends on who you ask. No plane is perfect. People who like the ability to transfer electronics from plane to plane don't like the Aerobird series because you can't do it. If you have no intention of transfering the components fron one plane to another - it ceases to be a problem. I think as a beginner to RC flying, you need a plane that is.............. easy to fly! The Aerobirds are: Forgiving in flight; Very durable; Very repairable; Very "modable"; Parts are readily available and fairly priced. But above all, they never pretend to be the "be all and end all" of RC flying - they never pretend to be anything they are not. I started on a Firebird Commander - its like a 2CH Challenger. It taught me to fly - I had NEVER flown before. Do you drive? Did you learn in a Ferrari? Thought not. I would steer clear of the larger Extreme for now. If you do go for the Challenger: Start on a virtually windless day for your first flight, use it in Pro mode and be gentle with your control inputs.
I have no comment to make about the plane mentioned in the above post - I've never flown one. I can only give you my experience. Keep us all informed and let us know how you get on.