Raptor 30's are known as good helicopters. However, most people who start off with nitro, and can afford the extra expense, usually go to a 50 size. The problem with going nitro is that repairs are more costly when you crash.

Electric is often a matter of personal preference and/or cost depending on the size of the heli (there are 500 [ roughly equivalent to a 30 size nitro], 600 [roughly equivalent to a 50 size nitro], and 700 [roughly equivalent to a 90 size nitro] size electrics available). At the early stages of your flying, it may be beneficial to go with a smaller electric, such as the Blade 400 or T-Rex 450, due to the decreased cost in crashing, especially when learning on your own. If you have someone available to put you on a trainer cord ("buddy box" ) to teach you to fly, a 30-50 size nitro would be an excellent choice if your budget allows.

Yes, the 30 size helis are considerably larger than a 400-450 size electric. They are more stable than a 400-450, though a 400-450 are stable enough. The nitros are also more expensive to buy and set up, unless you find a steal on a crashed heli. In that case, I would recommend knowing what you're looking at.. I'm attaching 2 pics of 3 of my helicopters for a size comparison. The one in the foreground, and the smallest of the 3, is the e-Flite Blade CP Pro (similar in size to the AXE CPv3). Next, is the e-Flite Blade 400, and following that is my 30 size Hirobo Shuttle ZXX nitro.

The DX6i is a good radio and will be sufficient for most of your heli and airplane flying. However, I would recommend going with the DX7 if you can afford it. It has a few more programming options and the menu is easier to follow (for me anyway).

Happy flying.