Went through the steps outlined in Dean Pappa's article and a couple observations:

1) I think the extra .5 inch is ABOUT right. The jump in RPM is not so violent...just a noticeable jump like he says.

2) The amount the needle has to be turned between where it get's ON the pipe and comes OFF is a little more than an 1/8 turn as Dean outlines however I question how literally I should take this statement as different needles move at different rates. I think the length is at a place where I'm ready to fly it. the throttle transitions linearly but still a little rough in the midrange.. (see next item)

3) either my glow plug is too cold (no I don't know what type is in it right now) or my idle needle is still to rich. I have a sneaking suspicion it may be both.

a) the manual specifies 2 - 2 1/2 turns out on the low speed needle and mine is 1 1/2.

b) when I take the battery off the rpm drops noticeably but even with the battery still on the rpm slowly drops until it almost dies.

c) If I open the throttle back up it has to clear itself out again. once it's clear the throttle can be snapped from idle to full sort of cleanly but there's still a hint of clearing out hence my suspicion of the plug

d) I will try leaning out the low speed needle another 1/4 to 1/2 turn (had to stop tonight as it's too late to run any longer)

e) I am going to buy an assortment of plugs to experiment with (this is where you can make your recommendations). I'll probably buy a few temp ranges across 2 or three brands to see if I can get one that works good