You guys with budgets similar to mine- you might like to check out some 1/2a stuff. The Cox surestart engines are going for about seven bucks! You can build the airframe for a couple bucks worth of balsa. And the micro radio equipment has gotten steadily cheaper with the advent of the parkflier. And the airplanes are great. Just don't expect any ARF's! Most 1/2a is plans or scratch built. But hey, it only takes an afternoon to be framed up and another to cover and install the radio.

www.coxmodels.com
look under "specials" for the seven dollar engine.

btw, the 1/2a forum here on RCU is a great resource!