Glad to see you're interested in building.

The larger pieces of a full size kit are somewhat easier to work with than the teeny-tinys; I build and fly small (.10-.20) stuff and only occasionally get my hand stuck somewhere I shouldn'ta put it... In addition, the quality of balsa kits has increased substantially over the past several years, resulting in parts that are much cleaner and better fitting.

I believe that "that covering problem" is one largely of perception on the part of the builder. Forget the idea that you build a plane, then cover it. Covering is just as much a part of the construction process as cutting, gluing and sanding the balsa. In fact, it may take almost as long to cover your first plane as to "build" it. However, covering can be more forgiving in many ways than the cutting and gluing; although your mistakes will show more, if you really can't stand the way a wing panel, for instance, came out, just heat the stuff up, pull it off and have another go. Just like everything else in this hobby it takes a little practice.

That said, IMHO, you will get a lot more satisfaction from your plane when it's "all yours", and not a one of a million identical others built by some poor gal in Asia who may have never even seen the finished product in the air...

digger