I understand and acknowledge that everyone who has contributed to this thread is being helpfull and answers are all very good, but as a new flyer the word trainer brings up connotations of an plane that will get people flying and do little else. I have been flying for a number of years and the thing I have learnt about "Trainers" is that they can be very versatile aircraft. They will do loops, barrell rolls, immelman turns, cuban 8, figure 8 flying and will spin pretty well if you have the control throws set fairly wide open. Have also seen experienced pilots do circles of barrell rolls and really throw these planes about. The modern trainer is both strong and versatile as long as it is treated with a certain amount of respect. If you buy good quality gear whether it be a radio or engine or plane and you are prepared to be patient you can learn most flying manouvres on them. The World Models World Star can be a tripod or it can be a tail dragger just depends which way you set it up. It is also set up to install flaps aswell as ailerons if you want to go down that road later on. If you have a good quality motor like an OS 46ax or Thunder Tiger Pro 46 they can be used in a number of models, they have plenty of power and are extremely reliable. Buy a radio with lots of model memory, they are not much more expensive than a radio with only 3 model memory and the few dollars extra for the more versatile equipment will pay dividends in the long run. For the record I sold off my standard trainer type aircraft and now use a Taylorcraft with a 120 OS four stroke in the nose as my principal training plane, is big, noisy and most importantly for me and my slowly failing eye sight very easy to see. So don't let the term "Trainer" bog you down, you can do just about anything with them in the early stages, throw them all over the sky and they do perform very well.