Ugh. My brother had a Sturdy Birdy years ago and it NEVER flew well. The Sturdy Birdy flies exactly as you would expect an M-1 Abrams tank to fly, which it more closely resembles than an airplane(no smart-alec comments about the Flyingthingz tank[:-]). It does indeed fly, but the high wing loading makes it faster than a trainer should be and stall more pronounced, not exactly a confidence building combination. But what do you want from a length of drain pipe and a hunk of styrofoam? It's an okay plane, but it's really built to crash rather than fly. I think the SPADs built from plans(see the SPAD forum here) are a better choice if you're looking for a cheap, durable plane. Just my 2&#162 from a less than stellar experience with that plane.