RE: New to Combat - Need Plane
If you are in the Orlando, Melbourne, or Cocoa Beach area I can point you to some guys that are great modelers, nice guys, and very knowledgeable about combat planes.
You are right that most combat is flown with .15 to .30 engines. The most popular class is Open B, which is up to a .30 engine, with max airframe weight dry of 3.5 lbs.
Good luck.