of my 2 Top Flight builds, a spitfire, and P-47, the P-47 was the most strait forward there fairly easy as long as you follow the instructions closely.

from what I have read and seen of the Corsair its a little sensative on the sticks and tends to tip stall when flown to slowly, a good start on the warbird building circuit would be the P-47 its a good first warbird flyer.

you still get the experience of building a Top Flight model,your not dealing with the gull wing construction which can be tricky for a beginner building there first warbird.
you are also not having to work on 90o rotating retracts which can be troublesome at times,and more expensive,all retracts are tricky but a simple retracting gear set up is a good thing for a first time builder,for me a 60 size warbird without retracts looks a bit off.
also the constriction of the flaps on the F4U is the most challenging part of the build,there not always necessary, but add alot to the cool factor in any warbird.

another thing is you can save a bit of cash from ordering direct from www.towerhobbies.com with there discounts and less overall cost you can get most of the TF kits for 150$ less if your a T.Hobbies club member,your going to sink aprox 700-1,000 into any Top Flight plane its just what it takes to get one into the air,that depends on the engine brand and size you choose, servo and radio type as well.
I did a running total on my P-47 its about 1,200$ including a OS 120 4stroke, retractable tail wheel,dummy radial,cockpit kit,droppable/removable fuel tank(simulated),flight pack with extra servos, and untold little do dads.

the spitfire was about 900-1,000 complete.

both are glassed and painted using stencils for the emblems.