Being new to RC (just started training) and interested in going scale combat, what would be the progression of training I should pursue? I'm flying a Midwest aerostar 40 now. What skills, 2nd plane etc ?

HI WSUDRICK, I'm teaching my wife how to fly RC with a .15 powered Slow Survivable Combat[SSC] plane. It stalls at a much slower speed than most 40 size trainers. There are some very nice looking "scale like" SSC planes that have a WWII look to them.

After mastering your trainer and once you can do basic manuvers with confidence - get a good ssc combat plane (Smack 2, Avenger, Flat Bat etc.) and go to several meets. This will give you the "feel" of combat before you risk your scale planes which take many more hours to build.
Besides - there are many more meets for SSC (or even open "B") than there are for scale planes.
It's all FUN!

I agree with the other guys, if you can fly a trainer around, you can handle an SSC combat plane. But keep in mind that handling it, and fighting with it aren't exactly the same thing.

However, the combat class to start with is determined more by what is being flown near you than what you might want to fly. Find out what contests are in your area, and that will point you in the right direction.

Scale is the hardest class to fly, IMHO. The speeds are highest, the planes are less forgiving, and the damage when something goes wrong is worst (though mid-airs are actually least common, at least for me). I'm in favor or more scale pilots, obviously , and if you want to start with scale, you can, but it is the harder way to go.

Thanks gentlemen,
You've given me just what I was looking for.
Wayne