To give some substance to my advice about 4 channel...

assuming you waht to go to glow planes... and do aerobatics, etc. at some point in the future.

Planes on 3 channels require substantial dihedral in the wing which is good for stability, but not so good for "fun". Rudder controls yaw, and roll axis of plane. When you yaw, the plane rolls as well. This is practical for a plane without ailerons...

With ailerons though, the wings have less dihedral, and the rudder as a significanly smaller impact on the roll axis.

Further, most beginners do not need to worry about rudder in the air. Apart from cross-wind landings, take-offs, there is little need for rudder at all (in the air). Rudder on life-size airplanes is only *really* used to keep the passengers from getting air-sick, and to gain a small amount of efficiency in turns (I will get flamed for that...).

Where the rudder IS used is on the ground, and that is only becuase your nose/tail wheel is coupled directly to the rudder.

So, for a beginner, a 4 channel radio means that on the ground, you steer with rudder, in the air, you steer with aileron/elevator. For a 3 channel, you steer with rudder in the air, and on the ground.


Basically, there really is no *that* much more to flying 4 channel as opposed to 3 channel when you start. The real benefic comes from the fact that when you do get better, you do not have to re-learn your whole in-air control input selection.

gus