What's the best plane I can get for under $40,000?
'94 eg hatch
Rigid MTB with slicks
>>972664
Complicated, and use-case dependent.
If you're already involved in the hobby aviation community, it is MUCH easier to find an airworthy & maintainable vehicle at a reasonable price.
If you're not, the best values you will find are probably ultralights. Maybe gliders - but A) they're gliders and B) cert expiration
Certified aircraft and experimentals both bring a shitload of ownership baggage of various/different sorts.
If you just want to go from zero to hero on the smallest possible budget, find a soaring club.
>>972664
get ready for an annual and a full engine overhaul