New Jet Design
Nice looking design. I really can't give you any advice, most of the guys here could do better then I can at that.
ProfLooney - Take the time to learn 3D studio Max since you already have it. Once you've mastered it, it can be a flexable tool for design work. Then use autocad to reproduce the design and make your offical plans.
3D Studio Max is also what I use. It's not the greatest way of making a plane, but you can change almost anything about it with only a few steps. It's major fault is making plans to print out. That's what Auto Cad is for. Trust me, you won't regret it.