SocMan18,

The Xtra Easy is a great plane to start with. The radio gear it comes with is high quality, something you can use with your next plane. With 5-channels the transmitter is limited but the receiver (R700 7-channel) and servos (NES-537) are very capable and first rate.

As far as flight characteristics, out of the box it is setup just about perfect for a trainer. Then, once you get the basics down, turn up the throws and it will do entry-level aerobatics with ease.

I converted my Xtra Easy to a tail-dragger setup, removed the baffle from the muffler, bolted on an 11x5 APC prop, increased the throws on all control surfaces, and I love it! It does loops, rolls (pretty fast for a trainer), flys inverted, and will even do a half-way decent knife edge. It is a very capable trainer. And I'll tell you what. It's easy to do all the above on an aerobatic plane. Doing it on your trainer takes more work and will give you a feeling of accomplishment.

Good luck.