1 - well really when you take off, if you are
slowly increasing the throttle then the tail should stay pointing at you but this will make the heli drift to the left alot more, if it is constantly going in one direction or the other try using the rudder trims tab and see if adjusting the will get the tail to stay in line better, but these aren't very precise so the tail always tends to drift a small amount.
The best thing to do is just like what flagmax said, its best to "pop" the throttle to get the heli airborne, play with the throttle and try to work on your throttle control first as that is one of the most important parts of flying single rotor helis, smoothe throttle control.
2 - Smooth surface is best, and using the training kit will really help too, if you are trying RADDS and you're finding it hard, then maybe try a simulator for a while, or find a large area, indoors preferabbly and with the training kit you'll be able to pick it up fairly quick. I had a freind, who has only flown coaxials, take my HBFP into a open confrence center at work, with the training kit he was actually able to hover, kinda, in the first battery pack, now they were short hovers and he was drifting all over but he def got the idea, and a few days later he tried again without the kit, in the same large indoor area, with smooth surface to slide around on, he was doing very good, still drifting all over the place but could hold hovers for much longer times.
3 - More people learn to fly without RADDS mainly because most people getting helis are on the comp researching, they just get it and go out and try, RADDS isn't as well known but it is a proven way of learning, Pretty much everyone that follows it through exactly as he has it set up will learn to fly, I just didn't have the patience and choose to sim and then just get out there and try it, and that is why I swear by the HBFP for a beginner heli, I spent soo much time flying it but I also crashed the living piss out of it, I destroyed it quite a few times but most of the time I didn't break anything or if I did it was usually under $5 to fix. It is the Flying Tank, especially the V2, its damn near indestructable
4 - Your HBFP Tx should work in the exact same way as your Lama, the left stick should be throttle and rudder and the right stick is your cyclic (Mode 2), and then compare how the swashplate moves, when you push forward cyclic the swashplate should tilt forwards, when you push left cyclic the swashplate should tilt left and so on.
5 - Keep the throttle trim tab at the lowest position at all times, there is no need to move it from the lowest position.
One thing about the HBFP V2 over the first HBFP is that the V2 is better for large areas and outside where as the V1 is better for indoors because its much lighter,
As you've noticed, single rotor helis are way different from coax's and much harder. And you prob already know there are many ways to learn, if one isn't working for you try something different, only you will know whats best for you. The best advice I can give you is to buy
alot of batteries, at least 1 extra charger, alot of spares and accept the fact that you are going to crash the hell out of that heli before you get good with it so accept it now