1) You are correct that the switches may not be in a usual configuration for helis. The switches are primarily configured for fixed wing aircraft, with the landing gear switch in the top left. Of course, if you don't like the switch configuration, you may want to use your own transmitter instead of the TacCon controller.
Not trying to be a pain, but why hook up my transmitter if I bought one with the set? And the throttle hold switch is SO important and V curves are so important when flying a heli...Much more important than retracts on a few planes IMO.
2) We will review the blade slap sounds -- especially after a crash -- and fix that in a patch.
Cool.
3) We've had a range of experienced heli pilots test fly the sim. It's tough to get every pilot to agree that *any* sim flies great for all aircraft -- especially with a given set of transmitter settings. Each pilot likes a different setting of expo, dual rates, mixing, etc and these settings do, of course, convey a different "feel". Also, if the particular installation of the sim you were flying was mis-calibrated or didn't have the 1.0.3 patch applied, your concerns could easily be due to a mis-calibration.
OK, but I have never been able to get my Blade CP to do Piro flips (Not even tried, don't think it would survive)....And I could easily with the Blade on FS1.
4) Not sure how to address your concern for #4.
Am I the only one that really didn't understand how to modify the models? They seem to all be ratios.
5) You must have your graphics setting *WAY* down. The wheels are indeed round, although the lowest detail level does have low polygon counts to allow slow computers to run the sim. Try a high graphics detail setting. Also, the control surfaces do indeed deflect. I'm unsure as to why you were having these problems, but it does tend to point to a mis-calibration.
The Sim was on my LHS's computer. I will recomend that he work on it, but the same computer ran other Sims fine.
I understand that new products have issues. I am sure you are working on them.