I have spoken to around a dozen shops in and around London. The general theme is that a kit plane is tougher than than ATRF. The Ibis 40 has been thought of as a very good plane, with good reviews. The quality of the kit is excellent, from what I have seen.

However, it is recommended that the Ibis is your second plane, as you will destroy the first one. The shops almost all say to start with an ic 40 trainer, not a 25, or electric.

Most shops recommend the Irvine Tutor 40, however, for a little extra, the ARC Ready 2 is regarded as much better, and very hard to destroy.