Another thing I could do is spring for the Monolog 70 airframe while it's on sale and worry about gear later. I might not even have time to set it up until this winter. I like that the combo comes with what I consider high-end gear (Castle/Hacker) but at my level, am I going to notice the difference between a $120 motor and a $60 motor or a $120 vs $60 ESC? Some of the lesser brand stuff is still pretty darn reliable. I wouldn't skimp on servos. Might go for Savox digital.

-l2t