Dave made a great point that the best trainer kits have instructions that really teach you how to build. Both the Sig Kadet series and Great PLanes PT series are like that . They have a lot of upfront detail about how to decide what type of glue to use for different parts of the build, why hardwood or ply is used in certain areas and balsa in others and teach techniques like how to apply sheeting around curves, how to build washout into a wing, the order to cover, what tools to buy, etc. The GP instructions even teach you how to build a workbench, and Sig typically includes a entire separate manual on the basics of flying. I assume the Eagle and Telemaster are similar.

Kits for more advanced subjects typically assume you know basic building techniques just like you know the basics of piloting (holdover from Pre-arf days).


No matter how much experience you have and what type of flying you do you might want to build a trainer first... even if you are a pro pattern pilot or have years of time flying warbirds. At worst you build it sell it to some beginner and then build what you really want to fly.

just my $0.02

-Jeremy