Regarding the radio.

Which radio to pick depends on:
1) How much $ you are willing/able to spend on it.
2) How serious you are about getting into this hobby, i.e. what are your future plans.

It's easy to say what NOT to buy: don't buy any 3-channel crap like Hitec Neon or similar Futaba TXs. Don't buy anything less than 4-channel FM transmitter.

With some luck, you can get JR Quattro transmitter (without receiver or servos) for $30...40. I bought one several moths ago for $35, soldered my own battery out of surplus Ni-Cad AA cells (read SPAD forum regarding the sources of free cells). IMHO, the quality of entry-level JR transmitters is much higher than the quality of similar Futaba Skysport 4 or Hitec TXs.
Can't say anything about the new GWS Dream Starter radio, Quiet Flyer gave a quite positive review of this setup.

If you want to get a 6-channel computer radios (which are WAY better than any non-computer ones), you may want to think of getting a used JR 652 or Futaba 6XAs or 7UAF (or 7UAP) or similar Hitec gear.

If some serious $ is burning your pocket, you may even buy Futaba 9CAP transmitter--many vendors, like Tower or ServoCity, sell transmitter alone. You can then buy receiver and suitable servos later, which both give you better selection and distributes expenses over longer time.


Hope this helps,
Boris