It truly is a Ford vs. Chevy conversation when comparing the big 4 companies- JR/Spektrum, Futaba, Hitec, and Airtronics. For what it's worth, Hitec and Airtronics give you the most features for the money generally, with Hitec having the edge when they have a promotion on. For what you're planning to do, simple sport planes and .40-.60 size 3d planes won't use more than 6 channels unless you decide to buy an Ultra Stick and want to do fancy stuff with the flaps. To make flying easier with those models, you'll want exponential on your flight surfaces and you'll likely use dual rates on your 3d machines. Having the basic computer features of end point adjustments and such makes setup a lot easier and lets you customize your throws just like you want to. Generally, the higher you go up in channel count the more programming features you get, but with basic planes like you are describing basic computer radios will get the job done. For a recommendation, the aforementioned Spektrum will work well, as will the Futaba 6 channel, the Airtronics RDS8000, the Hitec Eclipse 7 or Aurora 9 if you can afford it, or go up to a JR 9 channel. In particular, JR just upgraded their 9303 radio to the 9503 just to add a few non-essential features, so a good number of used 9303's are on the market at good prices. To make the decision easier, ask your intended instructor what buddy boxes your club has and get a radio compatible with them.