RE: Beginner here.
If a more scale appearance is to your liking, the little 50 Sundowner from H9 looks mighty fine when a Jett60 is stuffed in it.
Fun plane!
On a more affordable side, a buddy just recently picked up a Dago Red Mustang and he's going to power it with a GWS 70 engine. The model runs around 2 bills and the engine is another hundred. Another hundred for servos and your about done. The engine is pretty affordable I think.
Has retracts too!
My plans are to build the same plane but stuff a Jett FIRE engine in it. Probably either a 50 or 60 with a tuned pipe. I think that'll be sex with wings. Should dig a nice hole in the ground!!
Good luck