RE: Best First Airplane
I'd recommend the Hobbico Avistar, personally. I find it easier to fly than a "trainer" with a lot of dihedral, but it is stable and will land almost as slowly. It has excellent wind penetration, a wider flight envelope than most trainers, and will fly well with an inexpensive bushing-based engine like the OS .40LA, but will light it up if you spend a bit more for a .46-.48 ball-bearing engine. The monocote covered version is easy to repair as well. Uses a four channel radio and four standard servos.