RE: Do I have to have an instructor?
Arrow is a good plane, I suggest you find a combo setup with a plane, radio and engine. I guess if you want to try this yourself with no instructor, well after you buy it all, just run over it with your car. Save you the aggravation of assembling it all and 5 seconds after takeoff, it's garbage material. Sorry to be blunt but thats the way it is.
Find a club and do it right.