Well I apologise if a pilot's perspective on a website called Professional Pilots Rumor Network is not deemd as being 'technical' enough.
It is my understanding that the 429 was originally destined to be certified under Part 29. For reasons that I'm not prepared to get into that didn't happen and certification was gained under Part 27. This has indeed led to a machine that is resticted by regulation, not be performance. In fact on certain aircraft if you had the aux fuel tank installed and filled it up you would have a machine with a usefull load of about 260 pounds. No further discussion required there!
TCCA (Transport Canada Civil Aviation) has, as we know, approved an increase of 500 pounds to the max weight, once certain requirements have been met. I think you will now see a steady increase in sales, how many head to Europe remains to be seen. I suspect that many potential European customers are still holding off to see what happens. Indeed Bell may well have a struggle on its hands and they are probably more than prepared for it. It was certainly no picnic dealing with TCCA.
If the FAA and JAA/CAA/EASA (whatever they call themselves now) choose not to follow then so be it. I think they will have to have pretty good reason not to though, but regulations are regulations. That is for the pay grades way above my head to worry about. It will be a shame for the machine, but there is a pretty big world outside of Europe.
There are other certification considerations to be taken in to account, in particular see the post by The Sultan below.
The fact is that there are companies in possesion of the aircraft that are making it work, even with the 7000 pound limit. They operate it IFR and VFR so have to take into account fuel reserves and are more than happy with its performance.(whoops there I go again.......)
With regards to skid height there are no options - it is what it is, no high or low gear.
I have seen the tail rotor guard up close and personal. To be honest it looks pretty aweful. But it isn't about looks. It is about stopping people walking into the tail rotor. (wait until you see one with the weather radar installed!) My main concern would be vibration issues on the attachment points. All I can say though is that the upper echelons of engineering must have done their job and all that has been taken into consideration.