RE: Slo-V
dude,
I think beginner and learner get crossed. "Slow" is misleading to people new to the hobby. As you understand already from your experience........It takes a while to really understand things like wing loading and air speed vs ground speed.
Most of these park flyers are being bought off the shelf by people who are going to teach themselves. Who wants to join a club when you can just go to you neighborhood park or school yard and do it yourself? So many people (including me) learn without the aid of people with experience. As frustrating at times this can be (all the crashes), it still beats having to find a club or field and scheduling time to learn. It's just too easy to go 400 yards down the block and fly at the school yard when ever I feel like it and it is very easy for the entry level to just open the box and go.
For the Slo-V, even with the battery upgrade the acrobatics are very limited. The wings like to shake/flex plenty when I take it inverted. You should probably look at the GWS slow stick where you can select the motor you want to do the flying you desire.
I bought a Slo-v because I did not have a radio and I was not ready for that investment. Now that I have a radio I am not looking at parkzone/hobbyzone products as I increase my hangar. (With the exception of the Centurion).
-Ted