RE: First plane/engine advice
I'd go with Neddy on this one. Trust me, the LT-40 is pretty big as far as trainers go. It's a great flying trainer and a good one to learn on. It's also a very easy building kit. Check out the build thread that I did on an LT-40 and you can get an idea of how it goes together.
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3439708/tm.htm]Pay It Forward build thread!! LT-40 build.[/link]
Ken