Welcome to the addiction, gimme. The guys have given you good advice. If you really get into this madness, engines will come and go as will airplanes, but the one item that you will probably want to keep for years is your radio. Any of the major brands offer very good equipment and I would advise you to get whatever brand is used by the guys at your field as they will be familiar with them and can give you help with them. A modern computer radio is not the easiest thing in the world to figure out and your buddies at the field will be very helpful with it. Additionally, if you intend to really get involved with airplanes, get the very best radio, whatever the brand, that you can afford because a good radio will allow you to get into bigger and better planes as you advance in the hobby. Many of us, me included, bought cheap radios with limited capabilities when we started, then a little bit better one as we moved forward, and ended up with a half dozen or so radios before the light went on and we finally bought a good one capable of controlling many planes and that is the only one we take to the field with us. The other radios are cabinet queens now that are virtually worthless.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do and the goal is to HAVE FUN.