I think you would need to have at least 200.$$ of pure disposable cash to keep things going for 1 or 2 planes.
I would estimate my most basic plane a os46 powered GIZMO at around 350.$$ and the most detailed one like my warbirds at 1200.$$ maybe a little less of course not including building time to put them together I fly between 1 to 6 times a month so I am not burning gal & gal of fuel but I am building a gas powered warbird to save in fuel costs and for something different.
norfolksouthern it depends on the type of plane you want to fly a basic sport plane like a sig something extra kit will cost you 80$then covering, glue and extra hardware wheels and stuff another 100.$ and a flight pack or 4ch radio 100$ and engine 50-115$ depending on brand 3 to 400$ .
a scale plane for instance the sky is the limit here's my latest laundry list .
top flight P-47 cockpit,drop tank,dummy radial,bubble top conversion-220$
engine-325$
retractable tail wheel and gear-270$
wheels,tank,fuel filler,remote glow igniter, misc building extras-200$ or more
paint estimate-100$
cost is relative to what you make of it if you are having fun you don't need to spend the life savings
.
then in my case you spend to much of your life savings.
my point being spend what you can and keep it real and if you have grown out of a plane pull the parts that will work in the next plane that interests you.
you don't need have several planes in a ready to fly state, you only fly one at a time, I am finding I have planes I am now trying to get rid of for lack of interest or just non use buy sell and trade is also a option.
this is my GIZMO its replaced most of my fun planes because it does just about every thing I want, and if it crashes I don't need a box of tissue paper
