Roald Dhal describes in "Going Solo" how he learned to fly in a Tiger Moth during the war. Some time later he turns up at his base to find a brand new Hurrican waiting for him. They give him "a couple of hours" of solo flight to learn how to fly the thing, then send him off on a 4 hour flight across the med to join the rest of his gang in Greece where he goes to war in it
I think he has around 130 hours in Tiger Moths before he gets into the hurricane......
I wouldn't have too much problem with self teaching myself to fly most varieties of SEP's, baring the more high performance or aerobatic types. For other aeroplanes I'll take an instructor please, for at least a few circuits.