Futaba 9z Or 9c or 8uap
Gordon,
No, you can program pcm and ppm for each model and it will change automatically. You do, however, need to reset the power when switching from one to the other to get the radio transmitting in the correct mode. I'd recommend the 9C as the best bang for the buck.
Flight conditions = nearly 100% adjustability with the flip of a switch, stick, etc. The 9C does not have this function but with switch assignment you can get relatively close. I don't envision upgrading from my 9C to a 9Z for a long, long time. Ever since I got this radio, I've noticed that I no longer look in the catalogs at radios, because mine does everything I will need to do for quite some time.