Regarding crossed lines, some of my planes have crossed lines, some not. It all depends on the airplane, fuselage width, servo location, bulkheads in the way, plus a bunch of other factors. Probably the main factor would be whether the airplane was an ARF or one that I built. Seems that ARFs always require compromises where ones you build yourself allow you to set up the linkages / lines before the fuselage is closed up. I have some nifty 1' and 2' long drill bits that help with setup but they don't always solve all the installation problems in ARFs. Crossed or straight can work equally well if installed properly.

Sensei beat me to a response and posted some really nice illustrations. Good job!