Unlike other sims, AFPD will use ANY game controller that your PC recognizes and calibrates correctly. This means if you have a USB controller and you can go into the game controllers control panel on your pc and see that it is there, then it will work with AFPD. This does not mean that all functions will line up correctly and that is what the assignment matrix does for you inside the AFPD control menu. What is cool about this is you can use a small game controller or even a nice flight sim joystick, rudder pedals, and throttle to fly the sim from the cockpit mode if you want. Non of this answers your question but I mention this to illustrate how everything interconnects.

First thing I would do is not even start AFPD but plug in your RF controller and then from your Windows Control Panel, select the game controllers control panel and make sure the controller is working properly from that point. You should have all 4 proportional controls as well as the descretes working. If this is not working then the problem lies with your Windows setup and not AFPD. What I have done in the past is setup a custom game controller and calibrate through the control panel itself...instead of the game. Once you are satisfied the controller is working properly with your computer then start AFPD and go to your controller menu. Select the appropriate contoller and then make sure the function assignment matrix is set properly for your aircraft (i.e. ailerons = chan 1, etc.). Hope this helps!