My P-51B weighs 7 lbs & 6 oz with an inverted ST61 ring engine and Hobbico retracts. It is covered with flat olive drab MonoKote and I like it. My original P-51B was painted with Chevron brush-on and spray paints and primers. The instructions sheets are 2 piece with 15 steps in rather simplified prose on them. Each step has its illustration. That is good enough for me. About the balsa, I replaced the stab, original was very dense & heavy. I used the solid flap balsa blocks but bored out for lightness. The aileron blocks were light balsa but still bored out. I used the ABS exhaust stacks and have a bottom access piece to the fuel tank. I built my first Shangra-La P-51B in the mid 80's w/o retracts. I built a Egleston red box P-47 razorback and sold it. It did not fly like the P-51B, P-39, or Bearcat. My P-51B flys like a pattern plane. It is the best I have flown. The new P-51D 40 size kit from GP flies real well if set up by an experienced builder. The Gold Edition 60 size Warbirds have to much ABS plastic and build heavy. With experienced builders & flyers they are fine but they attracted by a lot of RC rummmmys and inexperienced flyers and builders @ Christmas time and get splattered all over the place in spring & early summer time. Watch who you take advice from before turning down these kits.