The Stanley #5 plane is colloquially called the Jack plane because it is a competent plane for many different tasks. I have often stated that it can be the only plane you use and this fact is a great solace for those just starting out with hand tools. Just one plane to buy and figure out takes a lot of stress out of the equation and quickly gets you working wood.
Using this single plane you can go from rough sawn lumber to a finish ready board and when you add an extra blade sharpened with a curve you make that work even faster!