Yes cutting the tabs off Futaba plugs is a modern ritual that every modeler who flies a wide variety of equipment has to deal with and as Jester noted "nothing to stress about". Actually this is a cakewalk compared with what we once had to deal with considering ; JR plugs, Airtronics Old, Airtronics New, Hitec S, Futaba G and Futaba F, #3 pin positive, center pin positive. The list goes on.
Whats important for you to remember is Yes Futaba puts the tab there to prevent plugging the servo in backward 'However' This will not harm the receiver nor will it harm the servo bottom line! It simply will not work. If you just cut the tabs and installed your servos only to discover say a rudder is not working just check the servo plug is not backwards, Just turn it around and Boom Done. No damage and no foul.
Now the simple way to avoid this and always plug your servos correctly without the need for the tab is to just look at the black wire side of the plug and line up this black wire of all the servos to the outside edge of the rx case or the bottom edge of the case depending if the rx is a top plugging type or an end plugging type.
OK to cut the tabs I prefer a #11 blade in a series of small cut not trying to do the entire tab at once. If you do you run the chance of ruining the plug housing itself. After cutting the tab cutting or sanding a slight bevel on the two bsckside corners of the plug will improve the plugging action.
John
