ORIGINAL: BuzzBomber

I don't think I'm "redefining" anything. I don't disagree with your firebird freedom example, the earlier Hobbyzone releases did tend to be underachievers, fwiw. I am merely pointing out that parkflyers are no longer necessarily slow, overpowered, and underweight.[8D]. In fact, there are many sub $200 RTF packages out there now that make excellent trainers, and several which rival the average glow ARF in performance.

When I re entered the hobby several years ago(I never really learned to fly the first time), I did it with a GWS Pico Cub. That was followed by a GWS Tiger Moth, then an aileron/elevator/throttle control electric funflyer called a wasp. This machine flew on the same motor and battery as the Tiger Moth, but reached around 40mph and could climb at about 70° from a handlaunch. After learning to fly ailerons on that, the LT-25 Kadet I built to transition into glow planes seemed rather slow and boring, generally unchallenging to fly. Know why? Because I had sharpened my reflexes on the parkflyers first.