Hi there!
       I've had a gas powered trainer hanging from the ceiling for over 8 
years. I think it's called a thunderboy. Anyways, I have never flown it. In 
fact, I only got my radio about two years ago and I started with a glider 
launched from a bungee type thing. Then when I finally got the courage, I 
installed one of these cheap electric motors with a gearbox and folding 
props, and I was hooked! I'm still very much a beginner, and in my opinion 
electric gliders are the best way to get started. I get about 4 to 5 climbs 
with a 7cell battery pack, and each climb brings me up high enough to make me 
think I'm going to lose it! It's just a speck in the sky when I shut the 
power off, the propeller folds back, and the thing just glides around like a 
seagull. When ever it hits a thermal, the darn thing shoots up! When it loses 
too much altitude, I just switch the power on again and up it goes again!
       I got so hooked that now I build my own fiberglass gliders from my own 
molds and I cut my own foam core wings. This way I always have one ready if 
the other one crashes. But fiberglass fuses can really take one heck of a 
beating.
       Anyway that's my opinion. Before possibly distroying an expensive gas 
plane, why not learn on a cheap glider first? It's the best way to start, I 
think.
BTW. If you ever need spare foam wings cut, I cut and sell them cheap. 
Fiberglass it and you got yourself one heck of a strong wing. I just need a 
copy of the wing plans to make the templates.
Enjoy.
Jason P.
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