RE: Pick my next plane..... Nitro first.
Ah, I was wondering what KIND of OS 40 because it makes a huge difference. Yes, the LA is not very powerful, but it is quite light. This is very confusing to beginners. An OS 40 FX or AX would be much more powerful, and would weigh about 5 oz more than your LA, so they are completely different engines. So if you don't know this and you're reading engine recommendations of ".40 to .51", then you have no way of knowing that your 40 LA might be marginal and require nose weight to balance on one plane, like a Saratoga or Big Stick, while a 46 AX could make a plane like the Escapade faster and heavier than you would want at your stage. Sounds like you hit on a good combo.
Jim