RE: Beginner here looking for Encyclopedia
Try Daniel P Raymer's book "Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach ".
The trouble with the above is that you will have to translate a lot of the lingo into R/C scale. Usually this means taking into account Reynolds number and possibly a few other factors. It's also heavy on math (calculus). It also covers a lot of supersonic design issues which you will never run into with a R/C aircraft.
This book covers design from the ground up. It doesn't cover specific structural issues, at least not my edition.