I fly 78" 1.60 size airframes with a glow engine on plastic gear servos, I don't use metal gears in anything but .90 and over 3d planes, and
any plane with a gasser. coreless, and digital servos will make no difference on this airframe, nor will you see much (if any) difference
at your skill level, Trust me, I also progressed with great speed, and was aking the same questions a few weeks after solo.