RE: Is this a good first plane?
Did you check shipping on it yet? Personally, I'd recommend getting a wild hawk. Though it may look like a piece of crap, it's indestructible. Not to mention, you can modify it any way you like. That's what I did. Took a boring plane and made it a lot of fun. It can take a hellva beating.
[link=http://www.nitroplanes.com/rtfwiha54el3.html]Wild Hawk[/link]