Sounds like you never had enough airspeed for stable flight, as evidenced by the tip stall on your third attempt.
2 to 3 mph wind is not much with a gentle hand launch. I would guess that airplane has a stall speed of near 10 mph.
I see landing gear and am wondering why they suggest a hand launch on a 3 channel model with gear. Seems you would get a much better take off from the ground?
Most people here (myself included) would recommend you contact a local club and learn to fly with them. That would eliminate alot of the heartache and be alot of fun.