Any brand of radio can have problems, and will if its not set up right. I firmly believe most radio "glitches" are user error. I've owned Airtronics radios as well as JR, and never had a problem with either brand. My friends with Futabas have lost planes because of various control problems. Does that mean Futabas are unreliable, or that my radios are somehow more reliable? Hardly. Personal bias has little to do with good advice.

C5, don't take the advice to get an ARF or RTF trainer. That's not advice that'll serve you and your project well. You're wanting to design and construct a scratch-built model. To do that, you'll need some experience with construction methods and materials. You'll not get that experience with an ARF or RTF. Buy a kit, and pay attention to how it goes together. You'll have the chance to learn a lot during the process of getting it together.

Depending on how complex your design will be, you might want a 6-channel radio. If you do, any of the current 6-channel computer radios would suffice. In my experience of using the Futaba 6XAS, JR 662, and Airtronics RD6000 I'd recommend the RD6000. It's got more features and is easier to use than its competitors.