I missed this thread the first time around, and I have some comments on ailerons vs. rudder.

There is nothing inherently bad or more difficult about flying an airplane with rudder vs. one with ailerons. Most glow-powered trainers are equipped with ailerons, and aileron is the first control we teach our students.

The problem was, the original poster picked airplanes that were very responsive to the controls, so any mistakes he made were amplified. It's a common thing; new flier doesn't want a "stupid looking" plane to learn on, so he buys a beautiful scale model, an promptly dashes it to pieces trying to learn to fly on it.

The correct way to choose an airplane is not by what controls it has, but by what SKILL LEVEL it takes to fly it. It just so happens that most of the beginner-level park fliers are equipped with a rudder, but no ailerons. This is not saying that a rudder is better for beginners; it's a choice the airplanes' designers made to keep the cost down and to keep the plane simple to build.