The rudder failure and the known tendency of your motor to die on you quickly are two conditions that cause me to doubt the ability of your instructor. He has not helped you properly tune your motor, nor has he taught you how to do it. The rudder failure is probably due to a construcion error (hinge failure, control rod bent, or radio problem) that probably had some indication on the ground which you are not experienced enough to see, and neither did your instructor. Why doesn't he get along with the local club? Doesn't like the safety rules? Doesn't fly well? Other pilots are afraid of him? If you don't know if he's an AMA member, you're not asking enough questions.

Repairs are not difficult, even for a fuselage that's broken in half. The most expensive part to replace is usually the covering. If you don't want to go the repair route, get the Tower Hobby trainer. Its a great flyer (better than the Nexstar IMHO). Then do some more homework on the club and your instructor.

Brad