a trex is easier to hover. only you can make calls on what's a reasonable investment for you given your budget.

i didn't hear anyone mention table tennis balls and sticks! shame on you if you aren't using them already.

flat bottomed woodies will also make the cpp more stable. i agree... stay clear of plastiblades.

i've come to accept superskids as a reasonable way to add durability & weight while hover training.

another beginner upgrade that i rarely hear about is a larger battery. you get more of the almighty stick time, and more hover training weight.

another rarely mentioned aide to cpp newbies: downgrade to the non-hiller cp rotor head. it's less sensitive and more built for beginners. you can always go back if you don't like it.

i've mentioned adding weight as a plus for you. just be careful piling on those training ounces; there is a practical limit to how much weight a cpp can gain. too much and it won't have enough power to recover from errors.

-kev

[edit: hehe mrasmm, you beat me to it with the hiller downgrade and the heavier lipo. nice

i second mrasmm's recommendation that you find someone who can get it flying well. when you're learning, there's nothing like grabbing the transmitter from an expert who has tuned everything perfectly. just do yourself a favor and pay close attention to what he does to it, and know that 3-4sec of hands off is fairly reasonable with a cpp in no wind.]