Cermark F-20 vs F-16 vs Patriot kit
Joe,
You might want to consider a ducted fan with fixed gear instead of retracts. Built light, most fans will fly off of grass fields (look into a Starfire). While being a nice plane the Patriot doesn't have the same flight/landing characteristics of a fan plane or turbine. It will sharpen your thumbs though.
If you truely want to move toward turbines, a sleek pattern ship will help you with the "at speed flight" a nice heavy warbird with flaps and retracts will help you get the landings down.