Missleman,
Again just to re-iterate the Electristar I would imagine is by far and a long way the better plane IF and it's a big if you have an intsructor or someone to help !!!!
If you stood by and watched a complete novice with an aileron plane fly for the very 1st time apart from the orientation when the planes heading away from / towards you one of the biggest mistakes that most would make is starting a turn which rolls the plane, all of a sudden the planes now inverted and the beginner panics and what will most do - pull up elevator as they're now heading for the ground which then worsens the situation.
Rudder only / 3 channel you aren't nearly so likely to do that, the ACT saved my Super Cub at least 4 times when I 1st started which could of been 4 totalled planes and yes it very quickly becomes a pain so you switch it off but for your 1st few flights it can be plane saver.
Repairing Balsa or foam, don't think there's really any discussion for that one as foam is much much easier to repair and to say you're never going to crash as a beginner would be totally unrealistic !!!!!!! I've only just bought my 1st Balsa and looking back there's no way that would of survived what some of my other planes have been through in the last year (and I'm still flying currently but with a bit nmore CA than they had on tehir maiden flights ) as I've gone through the learning curve.
Whilst I again re-iterate the best method is to join a club and get an instructor in which case buy the Electristar all day everday but I think if he's going it alone the Super Cub for the reasons stated above would be the better choice IMHO.
I feel that opjose has blatently damned what hundreds if not thousands of people have learnt on and is widely supported as one of the best teach yourslef to fly planes on the market (just trawl through the threads on here) in favour of what yes is a better plane in the long run but it's no good to anybody if he totals it on it's 1st flight and with a load of expense that lasts 30 seconds is put off the hobby for ever, I'm just trying to help the guy and stop him going through the same painful, expensive and frustrating experience I had when I 1st started and think the damnation of the Super Cub was unjust taking the pilots experience and lack of intructor into account !!!!!
Hope that helps,it's genuinely trying to help someone who's about to embark on exactly the same route I went and with the experience I have now and looking back if I was starting out again tomorrow is the way I'd go - unless I could go to a club and have an instructor !!!!!!!!!