I think you have to have some experience with mechanical "stuff" or you will spend 3x as much as the "1000 hours".

I am an electrical engineer with a some mechanical experience - including work. I am currently working the wing buildup on my kitfox (finished the fuselage). If I did not have a friend with a garage machine shop and extensive machining experience, I would be still dealing with fuselage - and making extremely slow progress.

This is true of either plane that you build however.

Just my opinion...

Tom