Congrats on your decision. As I said earlier, the Eagle 2 can be powered with a cheap, .40 size bushing engine, but a ball-bearing engine would be a better choice for longevity and it can power your next more sporty model as your flying skills progress. Just stay away from the Towr Hobbies .46. Some may like it, but I just bought one, and I think it's a POS, in my opinion, of course. Wing dihedral is important because it increases stability, and makes the airplane more apt to recover itself from a mistake. But, dihedral reduces a plane's ability to perform certain manuvers. My suggestion would be to build the first wing with the maximum amount of dihedral, then just purchase another wing kit, and build it flat. This will enable you to learn with a very stable-flying airplane, then swap out the wing, and have some fun!!! And, use rubberbands on the wing, not bolts. They let the wing separate during a crash a lot faster and easier.