this is a n00b question.....but.....what are the differences between heli and airplane radios? can an airplane radio be used to fly a heli (i just want to mess around on the AFP i will get soon)? thanks in advance

Many of the better computer radios have the necessary pitch mixing and CCPM capabilities built-in regardless of if wether it is a heli-specific radio. Those are the two main features to look for.... Pitch mixing and CCPM. Beyond that, the difference can simply be the placement and style of the various switches, which can be just a matter of taste.

If you want to fly a simple, four-channel, fixed-pitch, heli... then a plain (or plane) 4 channel radio will work fine.

-Mark