Since you mentioned you are not sure about your flying skills, let me add this. Pattern ships are honest and easy flyers and can be handled as a third airplane if the second airplane was a good aerobatic design and the pilot competent and disciplined. You do not have to fly it into strange attitudes right away. The more modern designs are slower and even easier than the older designs you mentioned seeing in MAN, but those are good choices for fast pattern fun. Also, in MAN, there is the plan of Wolfgang Matt's Arrow. Its a late 70's design, fast, but with some interesting building ideas. A fun build too. The exhaust tuned pipe runs down the back and then is routed through the fuselage to exit behind the wing under the belly. This was meant to keep the exhaust from affecting the rudder. Its a neat airplane and another for your consideration...a fun scratch build. And think about it...start now and practice flying while the pattern bird is building. You will be ready.

Mark