Papa,

I have an idea for you. Because you're so dead set on doing this stuff alone and only having the money for one plane, this is my thought:

At the club that I fly at, they're are these guys who fly combat. They tie ribbons to the rear of the planes, hand launch them, and compete to see who can keep the ribbons on the longest.

Some planes go down, some don't. When they go down, they're usually going pretty damn fast. They're just little .25-.32s, but they fly!!!

The fuselages are minimal, the main wing is a regular wing, and the rear horizontal stablizer and fin, are made of corrigated plastic. The main fuselage is made from what looks like a plastic cutting board. The main wing is attached via a bolt-on wing support, and the rear tail feathers are attached via, slip-in and glue.

The servos are exposed the the outside of the flat (vertical) fuselage, as is the fuel tank and the engine.

They don't look "scale", but when they go down, and go down hard... these things get refueled and go right back up.

Maybe you should consider one of these "nearly" indestructable little jewels.

They have rounded bellys and slide in to land. No style! But durable? ALL DAY LONG!

The damage can be severe to the main wing and the tailfeathers if you go down sideways or inverted, and the engine is something else...

It would last you alot longer than a balsa/ply plane and cost alot less to repair.

Think about it. http://www.screamingeaglerc.com/

Signing out. (Tell him "Sparkey" a.k.a. "Crash" sent you.)