ORIGINAL: safeTwire
If you are serious about getting into helicopters, radios that have the letter "H" in their model number are factory designed toward basic / standard helicopter control configuration. This same radio can also be used for airplanes.
7CHP is a very good choice, 9CHP even better! Good Luck!
Yes H does mesn heli but not all programmable heli radios can be used on airplanes. There is a Futaba radio I was looking at recently, don't know the model # off hand, that was heli only. So make sure before you buy.
Most programable heli radios will fly airplanes as well.