RE: building from ordered plans
I bought a set of plans from Roy Vaillancourt of a giant scale Sea Fury. As an option there was a photo pack of the construction of the Model. Maybe 30 or so photos of the various steps in the construction process. This was a big help but it's far cry from a Sig or Great Planes instruction manual.
I was able to successfully complete the build but I had built many, many kits before that. Start out with something simple and build on from there.