G'day

The best advice I can give you is to find a club and talk to the members. Find an instructor (mentor, teacher etc) and ask for his opinions on planes, radios etc.

You will get a lot of advice here and some of it will be good and many people will tell you the same as I have told you.

There is a lot of good equipment out there for a fraction of what it cost even 10 years ago. There is also a lot of junk coming from China though some of the stuff from China is quite good and certainly cheap. Whatever you buy, keep in mind spare parts, service and warranty. Gear from China often does not have any of these. Your local hobby shop will be more expensive but you should get better service and spares backup.

Have fun, welcome to the madness. I've been at it for over 50 years and can't seem to give it up. It can be particularly addictive.

Cheers

Mike in Oz