Hi Jim
Firstlly lets loook at why soo many people recommend a particular plane or model, the reason is experience, they have like myself and many others - bought a model, built it and than destory it all within 3 days. We then ask why and 9 times out of 10 it what the guy at the LHS said was a trainer or we read the box or website of the manufacturer and believed everything on the front cover![>:]
For radio's well are you sure you will like flying model planes, I can tell you on day 3....the "destoryed' part of learning, I drove away from the field thinking you can stick this model plane flying right up your exhust pipe!![>:] But a few days later calmed down and ordered a new fuse and motor and..........
Today I have 3 models and yes I still have the rebuilt 16 plane (that now make times its crashed)(Cessna 182) I learn to fly without ailerons because trainers do not have them, again it's hard enough learning to fly with 3 channels and look at it like this you will be able to see how a plane behaves when flying with just rudder and later with more experience move on the 4 channel and ailerons.
The speed question... yes alot of people say faster is better and the reason they say this is because of height they fly is to close to the ground and stall the plane and in she goes, when learning, fly up high if something go wrong you have time to do something about it and when something goes wrong switch off the motor I learnt the hard way the faster the plane is travelling when something goes wrong the harder you hit the ground and the more damage done.
I like to fly powered gliders and now fly every wednesday with a mate I don't have major crashes anymore just the odd hairy moment.
Cheers Lawrence
PS Oh wind is your greatest enemy[
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