Hi. Thanks to Larry, Bruce, Ken and Shakes for all the thoughtful info. To Larry, yes I have thought about an Avistar. All say it is an excellent aircraft, but everyone tells me to stay away from the .46 LA and opt for the FX engine w/ bearings and rings. I think the combo comes with the LA. I still do not know how skilled I am with putting separate components into a plane. The RTF's are really tempting to me but I do not want a problem engine while I am learning. Also, the suggestion to buy a four channel with programmable settings is a good one. Since I can't buy planes anytime I wish, I am trying to make a careful decision. I like my Hobbico Superstar, but like I said, it is a very low wind plane for a very beginner like myself and I would like to get into nitro planes. Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all of you. Mike