I want to second what John says about soldering. It's an absolutely essential skill if you're going to pursue R/C airplanes as a hobby. And the best way to learn how is to practice, practice, practice. Stuff's going to get screwed up, it happens, but (usually) you can heat the pieces, and try to re-solder them. Unless you melt dean's plugs, but that's another part of the learning curve...

And remember, it's a hobby, we do it because it's FUN.

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