I have these heli/planes:
1) V911 Heli - Have been able to fly ok
2) Wild Hawk airplane - No success in flying
3) Champ - Have flown successfully, but NOT after fixes to broken parts - probably due to weight and mis-aligned parts
4) SU-26 Broke prop shaft on first flight - waiting for parts - Maybe was too fast and my inability to use the ailerons properly.

I liked the Champ in that I could fly it and only required small space. The Wild Hawk was much bigger and appeared to require a larger space to fly.

I think I want a plane of about the 35 inch size, and I feel that my next one s/b with ailerons, but I could be wrong! I like the idea that with these size planes, at least I can see the parts and use screws, etc instead of just glue!
So, what do you think? My desires in a plane, besides above, is to be able to fly, do some aerobatics and preferably in small park.

Also, with 4+ transmitters on hand now, should I go for a set transmitter now? If so, would the DX6i or the FS-TH9X be the one for me? Note that I am leery of having to do a lot of work setting the transmitter up.

Thx.
P.S. Yes…….. I am a RC addict now.

I would say if you are addicted, buy the best transmitter you can afford. Personally I went Specktrum because of the handy bind and fly planes, cheap orange rx for little foamies, and I really like the power safe receivers for giant scale.

For a 4 channel trainer, I really like the Apprentice. It is remarkably tough, all parts are available at reasonable prices, long flight times, and it flies very well. It does basic aerobatics well for a high wing plane, and it is a blast to fly on floats.

I'd consider it too big to park fly though.

How successfully have you flown the Champ? If you can't fly or land the Champ without crashing, then you are not ready to move up to an aileron equipped plane without help. The Apprentice is great and so is the Flyzone Sensei provided you have the assistance of an instructor or club. I have started to recommend the Ares Gamma 370 as a nice, low cost high wing trainer that can easily be upgraded to aileron equipped and brushless system for very little money. That is, once you learn to fly it well. It along with some of the Hobbyzone trainers like the Super Cub and Firebird Stratos will help you learn to fly well and progress.

I have successfully flown and landed the Champ. Only had problems when I got a little careless and/or tried to fly it in heavier wind AND after did some repairs which made it quite a bit heavier and out of alignment somewhat.

The answer here is the same as the thread you posted the other day. Learn to fly the champ in wind then your ready to move on. Buy the parts to fix it. The answer doesn't change because a few days pass and you re-word the title of the post.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1775846

Yes, I hear you and I will be flying my Champ as soon as I get my new tail feathers (in the mail).
But I am chomping at the bit for a ~30 inch size plane to fly.
I am looking at a J3 Cub...... but only like the price-looks-tail section of some of the J3s I see. OR the ICANFly plane I see at Nitroplanes for $100. Which is preferable?

If I were you I'd stick with a major brand. Being able to obtain replacement parts easily is a big plus, especially when still relatively new to flying.

Ok........ so is Nitroplanes a major brand?

Nitroplanes isn't reliable for parts/availability, they go out of stock on many things and you can never tell when they will re-stock.

Note that the ICANFly at Nitroplanes is also out of stock

Ok........ so what are the good places to buy?

Horizon Hobby, Hobby Zone...

Or tower hobby.

The bigger the plane, the harder the crash. The little UM planes such as the Champ are so light they tend survive a crash much better than a bigger, heavier plane. The Parkzone UM T-28 is a great step up from the Champ, has ailerons, is a lot of fun to fly, and can easily be flown in a smaller area. Once you have mastered it then you would be ready to move up to a larger plane with a much better chance of it surviving.

I say again Ares Gamma 370. $79.99 Rx-R. Available at Hobby Town.

What Chuck said. Lighter than a Super Cub. Larger than a Champ. Tons of options no other learner airplane has PLUS the best price of any of them. Just the fact that it has a steerable tailwheel speaks to the quality there. It's a new day and the Champ is no longer top dog.