Quite an impressive half hours reading there Mike and you have put alot of work into it. Well done.
Regarding your F14 transmitter, I bought one of these and to be honest, for what they cost, I don't reckon much to them.
For a start, on a transmiter of this price, you expect not to have to open the back to get to the channel reversing switch, it should be accessable from the front.
I don't use mine any more and use a Futuba 6EXA 6 model memory transmitter 40 FM. aimed mainlly for the model aircraft fraternity. This is one hell of a gadget which once set up, there is nothing to touch it. You can expand on it if you want more channels and it has a mixing facility which is handy for models with loads of gadgets like rudder controled motors etc. You can link it to another 6EXA via a plug in extension, so you can pass over control to a second person, ( your Officer of the Watch lol)by using the flight training switch, works for boats as well. and switch back to (Captain) again.
This? transmitter can be purchased separately for ?55? or ?135 for the whole set up with receiver and four servo,s as against the F14s ?180 price Tag. I think as it was designed for Robbe, Futuba have bumped up the price. I'm not saying it is crap, but up against the 6EXA it's no comparison.
I can now run six different models from the one transmitter at the flick of a switch and crystal change, your all set up to go.
Okay it's not state of the art as far as the new Digital stuff, but for the price will take some beating.
Warship.