I had the Venus II and LOVED it. I sold it to fund my conversion to electric power, but I really miss that plane. It is a GREAT plane to start flying pattern with. I flew it with an OS 120AX (2stroke) and a YS 1.10 (4 stroke). Also I've seen it fly with other 1.20 four strokes - any of those is fine, and a comparable gas would probably work as well (not sure about weight). With that plane you can be competitive with the Venus II in the first couple of classes - there are no snaps or spins in Sportsman or Intermediate.

ExtremeflightRC just released the Vanquish 2 (don't know if it's electric only), and it's a 2 meter plane for about $600.

Of course, there are fancier planes out there, and if you're like me and most other people I know, there is certainly a draw to a nice new composite airframe. Check out F3AUnlimited.com for airplanes - they have a nice selection. The proprietor is a pattern pilot (and a commercial airplane pilot) that is in your Pattern District (D2 I think).

Personally I would fly the Venus and see how you like pattern - if you like it, fly the Venus until you truthfully feel limited by it's smaller size, and by then you'll have a better idea of what's out there.

By the way, what kind of engines do you design? My other half wants to move toward the south east, but would only go if I can find a job that's as fun as what I've got now (designing turbine engines).