not related to your specific question, but...

I'm learning on an old beater .40 trainer, but prior to buying that (for next to nothing) I had been assembling a .60 trainer.

I'm going to use aluminum landing gear on my .60, and reinforce the fuselage adjacent to the landing gear with think ply wood.

The field I fly at is grass, and when taxi-ing to the runway, or starting off on takeoff from still, the old beater .40 front landing gear just sponges into the grass until it 'breaks' loose. I'm told the aluminum gear won't have this problem. None of this is my idea, but was recommended by folk at the field.

Good luck!