As for Duraplanes, you're better off getting a plane that flies well instead of investing in a plane that crashes well. You'll have a lot more fun learning to fly cuban eights and outside loops than you will seeing if your Duraplane can survive crashing into a fence post.

The Avistar flies very well. It's a good solid trainer and it's quite capable of performing sportsman level aerobatics as well. Compared to the Nexstar it flies better in windy conditions and it's a much more solid value since you already have a flight sim. Compared to the Hobbistar, the Avistar's covering seems to hold up much better and will stay attached to the plane a lot longer.

The .40 LA engine gets a lot of criticism, but it's a good reliable engine that will last a very long time, and it has plenty of power to fly the Avistar .40 airframe. Just remember that engines with bushings instead of ball-bearings like castor oil. Ball-bearing engines like castor oil too, but it's important to run fuel with as much castor oil as possible in bushing engines like the K&B Sportster, the O.S. Max LA, or the Thunder Tiger GP series.

If your hobby store only stocks all synthetic oil fuel or 80 synth/20 castor fuel, buy some extra castor oil from the hobby store or pharmacy and add a few ounces to your fuel jug. This will help your .40 LA run smoother, cooler, and produce more power.

The Hobbistar .60 trainer is a nice plane, but they are notorious for the covering peeling off in sheets. If you are considering buying one, get a covering iron to go over the ARF with as soon as you get it home. You'll want to go over the covering to make sure that the skin is tight and the wrinkles are removed, that the glue is stuck down to the wood where the two make contact, and that all edges and trim pieces are sealed tightly to prevent fuel residue from seeping in and losening the covering.

The Hobbistar .60 comes with semisymmetrical wing like the Avistar, but it's larger size will make it more stable in windy conditions and easier to see from the ground. It comes with the highly underrated O.S. Max .65 LA, which will actually out-turn the .61 FX ball-bearing engine when running certain props with the same fuel and glow plug. The Hobbistar is a nice plane, but you will learn an awful lot about iron-on covering one way or the other if you choose it for your trainer.

As for the Nexstar, I trained on one and I liked it. The ALS is useless, and the wing pods and air brakes are largely unnecessary. The flight sim that comes in the box is a good training tool, but most pilots quickly grow tired of one plane and one flying field and opt for the full-blown simulator anyway. You pay too much for the Nexstar Select RTF because of several things included with it that add to the cost but that aren't really all that helpful. Nexstars can be tough for students to handle in windy conditions, but there may not be an easier airframe with which to learn to land.

You could buy a Nexstar ARF, a Futaba 4YF radio system, and a Magnum XLS .46A or Super Tigre GS-45 for around the same price as the Avistar Select RTF. You'd have a lot more building and assembly to do, but you might get the most bang for your buck with regard to purchasing a Hobbico trainer.

Please consider the Thunder Tiger Easy Fly 40H Super Combo with Side Kick field accessory package:

http://www.thundertiger4u.com/easy-t...k-p-13081.html

This package includes a high quality glow-powered trainer with pre-installed radio system, .40-sized glow engine, and pretty much everything you need to go fly it except a bottle of fuel. At $259.99, it's an amazing bargain.

You can read a review of the Easy Fly 40 here:

http://www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=1&ID=124

Unfortunately, the folks at http://www.thundertiger4u.com use the same generic description from the Ace Hobby website for both the ARF and the "Super Combo plus Side Kick" items.

The $259.99 includes the Easy Trainer 40H airframe with engine and radio system pre-installed. The engine is a Thunder Tiger GP-42 2-stroke; it's powerful, reliable, and easy to tune. The radio system is the Hitec Laser 4. The fuel tank is installed and plummed. There is a prop and spinner included.

The Side Kick flight accessory pack also comes included at the $259.99 price point. This includes the glow ignitor and charger, manual fuel pump, 4-way glow/prop wrench, fuel cap kit and fuel line, chicken stick, and even a cardboard carrying caddy.

The folks at http://www.thundertiger4u.com also ship all orders $150 or higher for free.

The Easy Fly 40H airframe is the one with the semi-symmetrical wing, like the Hangar 9 Arrow or Hobbico Avistar. It will fly better in windy conditions and will be more aerobatic once the student masters basic flight and wants to start practicing inverted flight, cuban eights, outside loops, and the like.

Hopefully the folks at thundertiger4u.com will update their item description to make it more clear. I have purchased from them myself, so I have no trouble recommending them. They have great prices, they communicate well when you order or ask a question, and they ship fast.

Your local hobby store can probably order the Easy Fly 40H Super Combo for you, but I wouldn't guarantee they'd be willing to match the $259.99 pricing. Still, it never hurts to ask. You might be able to buy locally and save $20 plus the cost of field equipment over the price of the Avistar.

Good luck, and good shopping!