You don't say that you have any certain budget for this, so I assume you're like the rest of us and you can spend as much you'd like so long as your wife doesn't find out! An e-foamies plane (www.e-foamies.com) would be a good bet for you. They are expensive, but they are near indestructible. That will be important for someone that is learning 3D. Start out with their Revolution 3D trainer. I believe it's around $80. They can also sell you the motor, speed controller, battery, etc. They also have an Edge 540, Extra 300, and Yak 54 that you can move up to later when you've mastered some of the 3D stuff. Whatever way you go, good luck to you.