RE: ESC question
Yeah, I understand. The only reason I point it out is that some people don't understand that an airplane in the sky will receive a signal *so* much better/farther than a surface car/boat/tank, so even though you're on the same channel, only the airborne RX sees the interference and crashes.
Anyways, yeah, you could plug it into the elevator jack or find a centering spring&arms for the throttle.
D.