can someone recommend a good starter electric plane which will not go in bits if it is crashed. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE

Leave your post here but also try posting in the electric forum
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_102/tt.htm
and RCU's electric spin-off site www.wattflyer.com
both are excellent sources.

Kyle, most any modeler can convert any trainer -- designed for wet -- to electric. OTOH, I have seen no smaller electric models show up at the field that are worth a dime for training since all I have seen do not have buddy cord equipped transmitters. Now of course there will be many park-flyer types jump on the wagon here to blast my indifference to electric fliers and Kyle your question will be solved!

You may care to check out http://www.hobbico.com/airplanes/hcaa12.html.

For that second question, well RCers have been searching for that answer since the first one flew.