between the two you mention, I'll "me to" and say the LT-40 is a better bet.

However, if you can afford it, getting an ARF to get flying soon while building a kit of a second plane is good advice. You get in the air sooner, and get the same building experience on an airplane with a longer life expentancy.

One thing I hate to see is a guy with his trainer missing weeks of flying because of the time it takes to make repairs. (not all repairs take weeks, of course, and some guys build and repair faster than others).