As an instructor for my club, I'll throw my hat in too.

I can't add anything about the plane so I won't. As far as engines go, I advise you to start out with a two-stroke for these reasons. They are easier to start, tune and maintain. They (in my opinion) are also more crash resistant which is important if you don't use an instructor because you will crash. I'm sorry if this sounds discouraging or elitist. I don't mean it to be either. I'm just being realistic. Once you learn the fundamentals and can fly then you can get a 4-stroke for a more realistic sound.

Second, you do need an instructor and I'm sure you could find one so try. If you still insist on self-teaching then I highly recommend you get a simulator package and spend a lot of time with it. I trained a student last summer with no R/C experience, but he had spent a lot of time on a simulator. He could fly pretty well right out of the gate and in 2 or 3 sessions he was landing his own plane. So a Sim will greatly increase your chances of success.