As a guy that has got into this hobby the completely wrong way, let me share my thoughts.   The Firebird XL to me, didnt work well.  Without a fuselage, you dont get the right characteristics or having just a stick in the middle connecting two ends really isnt an accurate representation of how you probably hope for fly.  Having owned one, I know. 

My suggestion is the Parkzone Super Decathlon.  What an amazing plane.   Its brushless, (c'mon even the newbies want to say they are brushless) and its a fast 370 outrunner.  However, it is a medium size trainer somewhere something the size of a Parkzone Vapor and a Hobbico Nexstar.  I also own them, well I ditched the Vapor and am training with a trainer on my Nexstar.  I disabled the flight stabilization system .  Anyway, back to my point.  Oh, also, a Mini Super Cub is also an amazing like park trainer similar to the Decathlon but I dig the Super Decathlon because you can fly slow and lumber or drop the hammer and get yourself out of trouble and/or have some fun.  Now, the Decathlon and Mini Super Cub are both flown from the rear of the plane, they only have rudder and elevator controls.  

Next, go for the Eflite Apprentice.  Hell it comes with a DX5 TX however it is 300 buck.  But, then you incorporate ailerons into your flying.  Next, go for Hobbico Nexstar.  AS A SUGGESTION, disable or have someone that knows planes, disable that flight control crap.  It doesnt work well on that plane, although in the super cub I had it actually did well but not the Nexstar.  Either way, If you're at that level, I'm assuming you're at a flying field and are working with a trainer.  You and him/her want you to learn to fly without anything except him/her helping you.  While you are correcting your but off, that flight stabilization crap is doing something else and you and it and steppign all over each other sprialing the Airplane into the ground.   the Eflite 450 which I would buy from someone in a heartbeat if anyone has one for sale just because I think they are really cool, is also a good, accurate trainer that is a smaller representation of what you're going to be moving up too. 

I recently trashed my Decathlon so I took the electronics out of it and make my SLO-V a brushless camera plane also.  Pretty cool.  Additionally, I bought a Parkzone T-28 as a plane to "warm up" to fly my Nexstar with my trainer.  Its a styrofoam plane but has all the fundamental flight controls, well minus flaps and retracts but I consider those "advanced".  Also, It has a brushless 480.  I flew it in 12 MPH sustained winds today with my little camera attached to it.  Wish I knew how to load that somewhere.  Anyway, it did get blown around but with its power, I could haul ***** going downwind then do half a loop, flip it over and with limited throttle just sit there and climb by really just using the elevator. 

I'm a wounded Soldier at Walter Reed and belong to Free State Aeromodelers in Laurel, MD, right outside of DC where I'm recovering at Walter Reed.  I've have or do own all Eflite/Horizon Hobby planes and Helis.  If there is anything I can do feel free to holla.  [email protected] or todd dot landen at us dot army dot mil.