RE: My beginner's plane - the Air Scout
1. Yes, Futaba and Hitec use negative shift, JR and some others use positive shift. There's also receivers out there that can use either, I just like the electron because it's cheap, and has always worked for me. I'm not sure I want to (or can) attempt to explain what negative or positive shift means, but basically, it's how the transmitter encodes the signal to send out, either above or below the carrier. The reciever has to look for the signal on what s received in the same place. Maybe Bruce can explain it with a little more clearly?
2. ANY servo will work, they are all now universal (they didn't use to be) except for the plugs. Older Futaba servos have a little tab on the side of the connector, which "keys" the connector so that you can only plug it in one way. If needed, you can just cut that little tab off so it will fit into the receiver. The reason I suggest using Hitec servos is price vs. quality. Futaba is very proud of their parts, and you pay a little extra for the name, IMO. There's really no difference in performance or functionality. The important thing with electrics is to keep weight at a minimum, so use the smallest servos that you can, as long as they have enough torque to do the job.
#3, 4, and 5 Are going to depend on each other, based on what setup you choose. For a charger, get one that will do everything - including the batteries in your glo planes (NiCD or NiMH), Your field box (Lead acid or gel cell), electric planes (Lipo, or NiCD). I use a pair of GP Triton chargers, one for the shop and one to take to the field with me. They are a little on the expensive side, but well worth the investment. (about $100-$110 roughly).
What motor/speed control/battery combination do the instructions for the mini-tele suggest(if any)? What is the weight and wing loading supposed to be, ready to fly?
If you look for parts on the internet, look in multiple places. Tower, Horizon, Hobby Lobby, and others have a pretty good selection and decent prices. If you have a hobby shop near by, see if they can find you a deal from thier distributors(usually they can get stuff for a lot cheaper than you can - maybe you can talk them into a "sale" )