bottle rocket war, you can get an 8 channel comp redio cheaper than the 6 channel comp system used. I would reccomend a futaba 8u. they don't make them anymore, and they have been replaced by the 9c. it will be completely unneccessary for what ever you may want to do unless you get into battle bots or jets. that won't be for many years. you can probably get a used futaba 8u for $150. don't worry about it being used. it is not like an engine, it is just electronic circutboards. it will be j8ust as reliable used as it will be new. jsut ask the guy if any damage has come to the switches. If you want to get into gas, I would strongly reccomend a trainer first. Don't be a hotshot and assume you can fly it all. there are many things you have to get used to like aileron and rudder reverse when it is facing you, inverted flight, and landing. a trainer will dampen the shock of these events. i would reccomend a .40 size trainer. The .40 means that they reccomend a minimum engine size of .40 cubic inches. you wouoldn't want to go much higher than a .50 on that. So, that gives you your range of engine sizes. i would reccomend out of experiance os engines, while i have heard that thundertiger makes some good ones too. you want a ball bearing engine. bushings are cheaper, but they have their drawbacks. Out of the os line, a .46-50 2 stroke would do the job nicely. Their cheaper engines are not very good in my opinion. i would get their .40 or .46 fx. they are kinda pricey, but you will really appreciate the benifits. their machining job is incredibly precise, and they use really good needle valves and their carbs work really well. All engines require a break in period. what this is is when you run the engine under forgiving circumstances, on the ground, and monitored. their manual tells you how to do it. They do a good enough job that they are ready to fly in 2 tanks. they will not be outstanding performers until they have had about 5 -7 tanks, but the short-break in period and good carb are where your money goes. a four stroke is completely unneccessary for a trainer, and will require a lot more mantainance. keep things simple until your 3rd-4th polane. As for the plane, great planes makes a good trainer called the pt-40. it is about $120. it is really forgiving, and takes a lot of punishment. other trainers such as the right flyer are cheaper, but why i am not sure. i would reccomend the pt-40. i was able to actually fly the plane after about 5 flights, but you want to get to know the plane and be able to recover from difficult scenarios. it takes time to encounter them, and by then you will be able to. if you jump ahead too fast, you will not learn that critical skill, and when the time comes, you won't have that forgiving plane and the chances are against you. that's is why i did not solo until 6 months had passed. for a reciever, i would once again reccomend futaba. they make some really nice recievers. you will not need pcm on a trainer, just get fm (sometimes refferred to as ppm). most computer systems (including the 8u) you can select pcm or ppm, and it remembers that individually for all 8 model memories, including mixers, trims, atvs (adjustable travel volumes) reversed chanels, etc. the memory is expandable to another 8 models. that means that you can have one heli on pcm,. and a plane on ppm and switch between the two models with just a couple of buttons. as for your flight box and such, hobbico makes some good ones at low price. they sell a flight pack which includes a starter, battery, and box. you can get your fuel from the local hobby shop. one thing to keep in mind before i let you go, sometimes going cheaper, can get expensive, and fast.