RE: Who else has failed on their first build?
I've been flying maybe a year (on and off). I'm not expert by any stretch, but I am very comfortable with 4 channel foamies. Not to say I don't have any unplanned landings anymore, but they mostly do what I want. Unplanned landings are mostly now the result of me trying to fly in too much wind or trying to do something new. This was a 3 channel balsa kit, so I felt like the required flying skills were way within my comfort zone.
Motor and electronics are all as spec by the plans.
CG is slightly tailheavy. I knew that going in, and tried to adjust by moving the battery a little forward. The problem is not that it wants to climb, but that it wants to fall, particularly in right turns.
It is slightly heavier than the plans. I had to upgrade wheels because the only place I have to land is a gravel driveway. It is the small pea gravel, but it still needs wheels a little larger than the 1" ones that came with the kit. So a little larger foam wheels, plus a larger tailwheel to match.
The kit is spec'ed at 1.5 ounces. I cannot weigh anything that small, but I feel like it's still under 2 ounces.