RE: 1st Heli
I highly recommend the HeliPro Black Hawk 500 from Ka-planes.com. It is VERY stable. RTF and only $350.00 + shipping. I used training gear for a .30- .50 size heli. It is big! But it keeps the heli upright when first trying to land after a hover. The BH500 is so stable that hover is just a matter of spooling up and lifting off. Perfect for a begginer. Ka-Planes has a great rep and have been wonderful to deal with.
Bill