C5,

Just get something in the air, because when you get ready to fly your creation, you'll need to know how to fly it so you can eliminate your lack of flying skills as to why it crashed (should it).

If you want to build a plane from scatch, you'll need to know at least how, and buying a "kit", or an "ARC" (Almost Ready to Cover), or an "ARF" or even a "RTF" (you'll be fixing it), you'll at least have some guide to go bye.

That's just my opinion though, I personally wouldn't want to spend the time and money on a project, just to see it go into the ground shortly after take off...

The "scale" planes are real planes, just smaller, which is why I suggested that, that might be a good (long-term) route for your venture.

The weight between aircraft aluminum & spruce, and balsa & ply, is certainly different, but the construction and placement should be exactley the same, excluding rivets, hydraulics, etc...

But get whatever you can get, to get into the air effectively.

My 2¢ (again)

MacAir