NF, so sorry to hear of your problems with it. If you'd flown the RJ then you'd have been able to go all the way up to FL350, even in icing by gosh.....Never needed the standby gen, engine driven gennys ALWAYS worked just fine !! Never had a Vmo restriction, you don't get much difference in block time over 400 miles at M0.76 compared to M0.70 and also 300 knots in the climb and descent no worries.....As for the cat III, well always nice to land when the competion was diverting
As for over engineered, I really don't think anything can be. Certainly not a single 146/RJ has rolled into the ground for no apparent reason !!!!
I thought the RJ100 was a very good solid and reliable aeroplane....