Welcome to the addiction and to RCU Jpilot1,
For the beginning I would contact your local club and the flying field, meet with the instructors see what they have to say, you will ask them to fly your airplane first and see if maybe somebody wants to sell a trainer or equipment, for the beginning its very useful.
There is a very good list here of proven airplanes, made by RCU moderator.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4537845/tm.htm
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8503667/tm.htm
if its learning to fly I’d go with an ARF as a trainer and move up to a kit as second airplane, you will enjoy your kit built airplane much more and you can do it parallel to flying the ARF trainer.
for the kit check out SIG kadet LT 40 and Sig midstar 40, both very good kits, laser cut and instructions written for a beginner builder.
www.sigmfg.com
Warbird as a trainer is not recommended, just trying to save your hard work from the landings while learning to fly.
As for kit building tools you can build a kit with half of the tools in this list but eventually you will get them.
Check out the kit building forum too.
Kit building tools
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• Building board (must be straight and soft to pin)
• Roll of wax paper
• Metal rulers: 6”, 12”, 36”
• Razor blade saw (the one with the red handle, ZONA is recommended)
• Hobby knife with #11 blades
• Tweezers
• Set of files - round, rectangular
• Sanding block 11” and 80, 150 grit rolls, 400 wet and dry
• Masking tape
• Clamps: small to medium of any shape and form as many as possible, you cannot have too many of them.
• T-pins – the smallest ones and cushion for pins
• Plastic caliper to measure balsa thickness (optional)
• Wing ribs jig (the orange thing)
• Hand drill bits (better then using a power drill!!!)
• Rubber bands #64, I dont like the staples ones
• 12” or 18" quick grips for joining wing halves
• 90* deg triangle
• Long nose pliers
• Standard and metric hex wrenches
• Hobby syringe for aliphatic glue
• Clevis tool
• Epoxy 30 min
• Aliphatic glue-Elmers pro wood glue or Titebond 2
• CA-thin and med
• Epoxy mixing popsicle sticks and mixing cups
• Woodfiller - elmers
• Covering Sealing iron
• Heat gun
• Soldering iron
• Pocket thermometer
• Single edge razor blades
• Slot hinging machine
Make sure you have a camera so we can chime in and help.
Good luck
Alex