You may want to consider the E-Flite Mini Ultra Stick. It is an ARF made of monokoted balsa and wood. I can tell you from experience it is tough as nails in the long run. It is spec'd for a 450 Park outrunner, but I had placed a 480 on it because I could not find a 450 anywhere. the 480 is not overkill, and I started with a 4 channel set up, no flaps. The plane flies well and if you take time to set it up right is really stable. My first flight I went out to the local soccer fields with my 9 year old son as my instructor (dumb of me). I gave that 480 everything she had and wound up doing some colossal damage to the aircraft, smashing the entire front of the fuselage.
After I stopped feeling sorry, I got out the glue and put it back together and it has flown fantastically as I have repeated the learning cycle enough for the plane to carry a few Newbie scars. I did get instruction and now even fly flat out foamies in the wind.
I liked the Mini Ultra Stick because I was looking for the next plane from the trainer or small backyard flyer. The profile is a top wing and is stable, but it will fly fast, and aerobatics are a reality with it. It is definitely not a trainer, but if you are proficient on the slow stick, you might enjoy moving up to this one.
After about 6 months of flying it, one of my complaints was the landing gear would not stay on (totally the result of my first flight gravity check) so I have kept it off and built a small foam skid.
My chief complaint about this aircraft however, is that it is currently stuck too high in a 70' tree surrounding the lake I fly around. Its wonderful red and white color scheme taunts me through my window every time a good wind storm blows. You can definitely see it from a quarter mile away.... Its solid build has kept it together as it is thrashed by the branches in the wind. I can even see the prop still spinning through a telescope that has been set up by my wife to remind me where that $300 is.
The now offer a plug and play version and this bird may rejoin the fleet once I am able to find someone dumb enough climb the tree and retrieve my maiden aircraft
