I recently built an LT-40 and thought it was a great kit. I built many C/L planes years ago so I have building experience but this was my first R/C plane.

Some of the things I really liked:
1. Everything fits with almost no trimming! (Not like the old days)
2. The instructions are very complete and simple to follow
3. It comes with almost all the hardware needed- fuel tank, spinner, wheels, etc.
4. All of the surfaces are pretty easy to cover (no compound curves)

The 3rd point is worth thinking about if you are on a tight budget. I'm not sure what is typical for other kits but these small items definitely add to the cost if you have to buy them separately.

I built mine with less dihedral than the plans and used an aluminum formed landing gear instead of the wire gear that comes with the kit. For power I used an OS46FX. It took me 3-4 weeks of semi-dedicated effort to put it together and cover it. If you have never built a plane before then you should probably figure on more time than this to do it right.

It flys great- super stable but no problem doing rolls, inverted flight, etc. The guys that taught me to fly told me it was one of the best trainers they have flown.

By the way, most of the guys around here think I was a little nuts to build a trainer instead of buying an ARF- even though they admit that the end result is much more solid and flies better. And I don't think that building from a kit is much cheaper in the end. But I really enjoy building!