I have thoughts on this . . . but then I have thoughts on everything.

I've never built a Ziroli kit, so I don't know the details he goes to on the plans and instructions. I have built very well detailed and designed kits that can be followed easily to a good result and others that are called "bulider's kits" that are best described as sufficient or less so materials to build a kit after you decide on your own hardware and its placement and can fill in the gaps for construction - assuming there are instructions at all and not just two or three sheets of plans. I've seen warbird "kits" that are just the hollow fiberglass fuselage and cowls/fairings - the parts that would be hard to form yourself - and all the wood and hardware is up to you to select and gather. It would be my guess that Mr. Ziroli will gear the instructions and kit to an advanced builder and pilot.

He might skip over things like engine synchronization (twin engines require special care), the pneumatics for retracts, covering and finishing, etc. The other sad truth is that the workshop required for such a build will require at least twice the expenditure in tools, cements, epoxy and such than the kit, radio system and engine. Can you do it with an X-Acto #11 knife and a sanding block? Maybe, in 25 years or so. But this isn't a Gillow's stick and tissue kit. You don't just grab a can of Rustoleum in "P-38 Markings" at Lowes or drill out and tap the aluminum gear struts with a cordless hand-held drill.

Sure, even a beginner could put together a wonderful model. Some people have extreme patience and "clever hands" . . . some don't. When I used to fly model rockets I had one friend whose models always looked like he made them out of Play-Do and another whose rockets looked better than the catalog pictures. The only difference was skill. But if you've never built OR FLOWN before so much would be lost in building it to your preferances (as you have none yet) and the chance it would have a glaring error that kills it on the first flight is high. You Tube has dozens of dorked scale models that went down for reversed ailerons or other "newbie" mistakes.

Lots of us paid our dues through free-flight rubber and glow powered, control line, two-channel gliders, etc. and built up a background for what works and what doesn't. And, most importantly, what to watch out for. Things like center-of-gravity and control surface travel without binding are just as important on a trainer as a 99% scale warbird. The difference is the trainer kit would have walked you through the steps and methods to assure both are correct. There is also a lot of technique in simple things like gluing or epoxying wood. Lighter always flies better and it takes some knowledge of how much is enough and where weight can be scrimped vs. where strength justifies heavier construction.

I wish I had $1 for every first build P-51 that had a short and fragmentary first flight.

Do it. But be aware that it is a monumental task and will be time consuming and seem impossible at times. But that's what makes some of them fun! I always have one on the "back burner" that is a builder's kit and it may take me many years of occasional futzing when the mood strikes. Happily, ARFs and easy kits (and rebuilds of oopses) are around to keep me flying.

PS - before you buy the kit buy a set of plans (or just the "study plans" if available). You'll find them useful if you do go ahead. But I think if you begin pricing out the requirements you will be astonished how much money is involved. You mentioned "very little money". You will be surprised how fast things like engines, radio systems, batteries, retracts, hinge points, fasteners, etc., etc., etc. add up.