In terms of batteries, I've had good luck with HRB packs. They're not quite the cheapest out there, but I've never had one go bad in a way that threatened a plane or to light on fire. Maybe it's just luck, but I've had some more expensive packs from Admiral and Eflite (never one of the more recent Smart batteries - those things seem to be amazing if pricey - but some of the older ones with the special UMX connector) that completely stopped working in flight or suddenly puffed up on the charger with no warning.