I am a complete Newbie. I bought a Storm Launcher Toy a few weeks ago and loved it. I eventually destroyed to the point it is not worth fixing but had a blast doing it. Now I want to get some more serious toys and get involved with RC Planes and other Hydro foams.

I was told by a friend that has been into RC for a while that first thing I needed was to buy a good radio setup and then go from there. I have spent hours reading up as much as I can but I am still pretty lost. It all still sounds greek to me. I know I want at least a 6 channel, I would prefer not to have to deal with swapping crystals and want to buy a kit complete with a few servos and do all this with completely breaking the bank (Looking in the $200 to $300 range if possible).

Which radio setup would you recommend for a newbie like me??
What should I look for in a First Radio??

I would use this in an entry level Trainer Plane and then eventually I want to build a High Quality HydroFoam type Boat/Plane. (Also I would greatly appreciate recommendations on which Hydro-Foam Boat/Plane kit would be the best.)