Pygmy,
I was in your position just a few months ago. I was posting on a beginner forum asking about trainers when Tattoo saw my post and invited me to a combat event. I then had an opportunity to see the planes first hand. Now I am no engineer nor am I in any way more mechanically astute that the next guy, but after seeing how it wasn't "rocket science" I decided to try my hand at building a Debonair. I reasoned that if my creation wouldn't fly, at least I'd already have an engine and flight pack to insert into a store bought balsa plane!

I brought my creation to the field and frankly, expected the instructors to critique my building capacity and make all sorts of corrections to it before it would fly. After all, someone without an aeronautical degree could never build something that could fly, could they? It really wasn't that hard, so I must have missed something..........it couldn't possibly be this easy!

Well the instructor started it up and after a few minutes, cranked up the throttle and off it went. He said something to the effect of "nice job......flies nice........I gotta build me one of these things some day." Well I had the biggest crap-eating grin that a guy could have. To see something that you made fly gave me a level of satisfaction that I had not expected. The tremendous savings that I pocketed and the crash worthiness (that I have tested repeatedly) made it all the better. Plus, should you REALLY crash hard and break something, you can rebuild it, because after all, you built it in the first place.

Sorry to be so long, but that's my two cents.....from a guy who's been where you are.