Radio? Any of the major brands will do well: JR, Hitec, Airtronics, Futaba. As stated above you don't need the fancy computer radio however all computer radios are not so fancy anymore. The Hobby Shop owner will tell you differently in that he thinks everyone needs a 10 channel JR and a turbine to get started.

One caution: Futaba along with their secondary Tower radios have several different Buddy-Cord/radios as they started several years ago configuring transmitters for computers. I know of at least 3 different cords. Unless, as previously advised, if you don't check around with your local club/instructor group/s, you may well come up short. In addition some LHS will sell you a computer cord and tell you that it will work your airplane. NAY not so. Just went through that with one of my current students. Funny thing it worked an older radio but not his new radio, which he uses. [:-]
Personally, I go JR, Hitec or Airtronics.

"Glow Powered" refers to a type of 2 or 4 stroke wet engine that uses a GLOW PLUG for ignition. The fuel is composed of methyl alcohol and an oil, either synthetic, high grade castor Oil or a combination of syn. and castor. In the USA the fuel usually contains some of an oxidizer, usually nitro methane. Nitro Methane is generally not used in other countries due to the high cost. Actually if you fly international competition referred to as FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) you are limited to 80% methanol and 20% castor oil fuel.
Glow Plugs have a small wire coil which is heated by a battery of some 1.5 volts. 1.2 works, 2 will burn out most, but not all. The
wire coil has some platinum which in conjunction with methanol, creates heat. The battery heating and the reaction of platinum and methanol keeps the plug hot between explosions. Lower priced plugs usually have less platinum. They tend to go bad earlier than the higher platinum content plugs. Some plugs are called "cold", heavier wire, for higher nitro fuels. Smaller wire plugs are generally considered "hot" for low nitro fuels. You probably cannot tell the diff. by eyeball.

"Glow Powered" refers to the IGNITION source, and NOT the fuel mixture.

I apologize for so much detail, however as one that was modeling when Ray Arden invented the Glow Plug, I kind of wonder where the name "nitro powered", "glow powered means the fuel," and such unlearned statements come from. [sm=confused.gif] Guess it has to be like kid's text message language.

BTW, most any of the High Wing Trainers will do a good job. After you become an accomplished pilot, hang some floats on it and it will still provide you with many flights getting the hang of off-water flight. For me all I care to do with ROW is take-off and land. that's the fun of it.

Best of luck in your new venture.