A few years ago I had a student who learned on a AirCore trainer. The engine was a .40 FP with an airbleed carburetor. Had to drill out the airbleed hole one drill number to get it to idle reliably.

The plane was heavy and under powered, and that taught the student some good habits. Had to fly on the wing, make long takeoff runs. I thought it was a perfectly adequate plane for instruction.

Best wishes,
Dave Olson