I agree with Lloyd, get the SE outright if you can.

I purchased an XL CDE about 2 weeks ago and even before my gyro, motor and ESC came in, I thought about upgrading it to an SE with the aluminum parts, I ended up purchasing the SE (without motor and ESC). Best decision I made regarding helis at the moment. I will likely end up upgrading the XL slowly to SE status but for now, I went straight to the SE.

It's so beautiful. Trust me, if you can get the SE and then never regret that your decision. Also, make sure you get the right parts. Good servos and gyro. I have the HS 65s and 9650 on the tail with the GY401.

Best of luck on your decision.

Joe