I use a remote glow igniter for my Extra, which cleans up the look of the cowl. I have to remove the cowl after each flying session to add after-run oil, which could be avoided by cutting a hole in the cowl. It really depends on how much you want to avoid having additional holes in your cowl. I run the wires from the plug to a Futaba-type J-connector near my charge connector. My flight box has a special igniter output so I use that instead of the regular handheld glow plugs. Still... adding a remote glow igniter means extra holes in your firewall and extra wires; I'm not sure I'd do it again.

My stab is just fine, and I haven't applied any reinforcement to it. I think you just want to be really careful when cutting away the MonoKote to avoid cutting the balsa which will weaken it. Adding flying wires is another good way to add strength. I glassed the joint between the two main wing pieces however. Snap rolls tend to put a lot of stress on the wing... though I doubt it would fail without the glass. Adding it just gives me 'warm fuzzies.'

I also glasses the inside of my cowl. I had one rather nasty crash a while back, which cracked the cowl (and destroyed the wing). Since then, the cracks have become worse. At this point, the fiberglass is the only thing holding the cowl together. I'd highly recommend this step but try to go light on the epoxy as it adds weight. Also, you might consider glassing the inside of the wheel pants. They will probably crack much sooner than your cowl. Or... you could fly without them altogether like me. They are generally more trouble than they are worth. Stan's Fibertech makes fiberglass cowls and wheelpants for a variety of ARFs including this Extra. I plan to order some from him when my ABS cowl finally gives up the goat.

On engines... when you're learning to fly this plane, the 46 should be fine. However, if you're like me, you'll quickly become frustrated with the lack of vertical performance. Flying the Extra with the 91 4-stroke is a completely different experience than with the 50SX. In fact, I find it much easier to fly with more power despite the added weight. I can't imagine what a 100 4-stroke would be like. If you're into 2-strokes, a 60 should provide a lot of pull.

Finally, as others have said, keep up the speed with this airplane when landing. It does tend to tip stall when you get too slow. Also, stick to the recommended throws on the control surfaces. I fly high rate all the time, but when you're getting used to aerobatic planes, the low rate setting is a must. Also, even though the travel on the elevator seems small, it's sufficient for flying this airplane.

Have fun.

Dave

P.S. Don't forget to mount the little plywood screw reinforcement to the bottom side of the wing before adding the belly pan. The instructions don't mention this step and removing a belly pan that has been CAed into place is a pain in the butt!