I've flown:
Venus II
Excelleron
Bravo
Quest 3D
Showtime

Of the bunch, I liked the Quest the best, but it isn't currently available. I had an ST 90 in mine with a Mueller header and a Mac's 1090 Quiet pipe, fuel tank near the CG and a Perry pump, and it pulled it like nobody's business. On the standard ST muffler, the ST 90 was a dog with a capital D. The 90 REALLY comes alive with a Macs Quiet 1090 pipe. Forget the Pitts muffler. Lots of noise and no power.

Second is the Venus II. I did a review on it in the last RC Report magazine. Really needs a 1.20 AX, and move the tank over the CG with a Perry pump. An ST 90 on a pipe might be ok. Excellent airplane, top quality hardware, fast assembly, and easily does all patterns at least thru Advanced. Slows very nicely on downlines, much like a widebody airplane. Moved the CG back on mine until it only slightly pulled to the canopy after rolling inverted on a 45 degree upline. I'm currently putting a header and pipe on my 1.20 to get more vertical and so I can run a little more prop pitch for a little more speed in windy conditions. This airplane will last a long time with proper care.

Excelleron is next. Control surfaces are way too big, so throws need to be reduced to almost nothing for patten use. Watch out, as a club member in my area got one with a badly warped wing, and the importer refused to do anything about it. Another guy in our club has one, and it flies great on a YS 1.10. In fact Mike Hester flew it in Advanced at our local pattern contest, and won a couple of rounds with it.

Bravo is ok, but a little small, but flys well on a OS 90 surpass on 30% heli fuel. Poor hardware, design lacks a little. Friend had one and I flew it some. If you are really on a tight budget, this or the Excelleron may be your best choices.

Showtime looks good on paper, but I was REALLY disappointed as far as using it for pattern. Tail moment is a little too short, and surfaces are WAY too big. Aileron throws have to be reduced to almost nothing, as at even their recommended low roll rates, it rolls so fast it is a blur.

Best thing to do is get an airplane, and fly it to death, so a dependable engine and equipment setup is a must. Get with a local guru to help you with airplane setup and practice. Fly as often as you can, at least 3 to 4 days a week in the summer. Get to know the traits of your airplane and how to make it present the best for your pattern. Practice straight and level flight and half cuban and half reverse cuban turn arounds until you can do them in your sleep and rudder correction for straight lines is natural, and you KNOW absolutely when your wings are level. I still have to practice these a lot, as they are the foundation for everything else.

Jon