A cartoon-style F4U Corsair in tough EPP foam, with four channels and a gyro that switches between a stabilised 6G mode for learning and a 3D mode for aerobatics. It is listed at about 12 minutes per flight and comes ready to fly.

Best for: a first plane on a small budget that will still be fun once you can fly. Watch out for: wind. A light foam plane is best flown on calm days.

A three-channel jet styled on the SU-27, in crash-resistant EPP foam, and it comes with two batteries, so you get twice the flying before you need to charge. Three channels (throttle, elevator and rudder) are the easiest way to learn.

Best for: complete beginners who want a jet look. Watch out for: expecting real jet speed. It is a gentle trainer in a fighter shape.

Volantex makes the point that the lighter a plane is, the less it breaks, and the Trainstar Mini is built on that idea: a small, light, high-wing trainer with a gyro, made to be flown, crashed and flown again on a tiny budget.

Best for: learning to fly with as little commitment as possible. Watch out for: outgrowing it. Once you can fly, you will want a 4-channel plane.

The Bf109 has Volantex’s Xpilot gyro with three levels of help, from full assistance for the first flight to manual for when you are ready, plus a one-key aerobatics button. It is listed at about 10 minutes per flight with a 200 metre radio range.

Best for: beginners who want a recognisable warbird they can grow into. Watch out for: the small battery. Buy a spare or two for a longer session.

A high-wing Cub is the classic shape for learning, because it is stable and slow. The Sport Cub 500 adds a six-axis gyro with beginner, intermediate and expert modes, so it flies itself level at first and gradually hands you control. At 500mm it is also big enough to see clearly.

Best for: most people learning to fly. This is the one we would start with. Watch out for: the field. It needs a large open space, away from trees and power lines.

The Spitfire heads Volantex’s Mini Warbird range: a 400mm EPP model with the Xpilot gyro, a geared coreless motor and a single button that runs a roll or a loop for you. It is stable enough to learn on and quick enough to keep a pilot interested.

Best for: anyone who has always wanted to fly a Spitfire. Watch out for: hard landings. Foam warbirds have small wheels, so land on short grass.

Our best-selling plane. The A160 is a five-channel brushless aerobatic model with a 6G mode that keeps it stable and a 3D mode for rolls, inverted flight and hovering. It is the natural second plane, and confident beginners can start on it in 6G mode.

Best for: pilots ready for more power and aerobatics. Watch out for: switching to 3D mode too early. Learn the basics in 6G first.