I was bench running a Zenoah G-23 a couple of weeks ago and the carb would over throttle on it considerably to the point of very noticeably reducing rpms. The motor doesn't have much running time but otherwise I don't know the history other than it was converted to an offset carb mounting block. A look into the throat revealed it was certainly over traveling so whether that is common or not, I can't say... it was certainly true on that engine.

Like you, I've been around a while and go back at least to the days when reversing servos was done with a soldering iron in the servo. Out of the hobby for seventeen years, radios certainly changed a great deal in that time.

As to the functions I found upon returning, I like em. No more soldering inside servos for one. Expo is another, I use it on almost every plane in the hanger to keep from having to fumble for rate switches. Another example, I've a World Models Cub that had a nasty tip stalling inclination that was all but eliminated by trimming up the ailerons at lower throttle settings to simulate wash out so I'm appreciative of what the transmitter function capabilities provide. While yes, wash out can be physically built into a wing, the plane was an arf and didn't have it and simulated works quite well as it is there only at lower throttle settings when needed.... otherwise it is not there affecting inverted flight. Last, the most fun and most taken to the field plane in my hanger is an Ultra Stick Lite with quad flaps and ailerons. Programming is so complex I'd personally never sort it out but Horizon provided the three pages of programming instructions for us.... took a couple of hours but the end result is a fantastically fun plane to fly.

Back to the subject at hand, in the end I do agree that using most of the servo travel on a throttle is the better course.