a word on the "cheap crappy engines"

The gap between the so called cheap crappy engines and the O.S and whatever else of this world is so small that you'll laugh it off.

The problem you will find in this hobby is that some folk have been in it for so longthey only know the big brand names and therefore are distrustful of everything else.
You will find amongst newer folk to the hobby that brands like Corona, towerpro, GMS, Evolution, ASP, Magnum are also mostly trouble free and so close in qulaity to the JR's, O.S, and Enya's of this world that there is really is little too choose from.  In my experience an OS of similar size to a ASp costs nearly twice as much. So if you're starting out, for me its a no brainer that loosing a $50 engine is nicer than loosing a $100 engine

You will find that the cheaper engines have spares that are more affordable and therefore in the event of a big prang you will smile at how cheap it is too rebuild one of the ASP or GMS engines.

I would not compromise on safety related items like:

Elevator and Rudder servo's: if anything you don't want these to fail.
Radio transmitter and receiver: any of the 6 channel and more  prgrammable models from the reputable brands are excellent and have the required programs.
quality of your wing to fuselage joining; check this regularly I've seen win and fuse come apart mid flight with the still spinning motor taking the fuse deep into the bush.