Great reading all the inputs. Bryan - big congratulations on bringing the Allure to market! Looks great! I'd like to add one thing regarding all this trim talk - the pilot needs to detect immediately if/when the plane does something that was uncommanded... Every flight or sequence is a trim flight in my book.

First thing - pick a prop that sets the speed range to your liking. Be CONSISTENT with your throttle usage, and linkage geometry. Use throttle curves to create a high fidelity zone in the middle of the stick that allows you to make small changes in throttle and see results in the air. Fly your trim maneuvers at "sequence"speed. Trimming for knife edge tells you very little - but flying a knife edge figure 8 tells you a lot!!! Keep the wing on knife edge and remember what the repeated tendency is. Higher amount of rudder use, smoothly applied, not jabbed...

Best trim/mix, rates, CG checking manuever? Lots - but surprisingly, rolling circles are a fantastic family of maneuvers to help you determine if you are fighting a setup issue or not (mostly constant or sustained power/speed). Rolling loops have a reduced or power off section to them that you need to pay attention to. If you can fly a 2 roll opposite roller and blend in/out of all commands, without the pitch of the model changing or bouncing up/down, you have an easy set up going for you . Must notice if when adding rudder, does the roll rate or pitch change...

CG? I'm remiss in ever calculating the CG of a plane. In order to participate further in this conversation, I'm considering making the calculation. Qualitatively, all my models will maintain an inverted 45 up line, then arc towards earth. They don't travel on this line for more than 2.5-3seconds max or so before the arc being started is visible. Never had a CG neutral setup I liked. None of my FAI setups even hinted at being neutral. I verify and set incidences Using a small digital incidence meter I built, as well as a Robert. The model will fly at its own AOA, and I've tried to run the least total angular differences between the engine, wing, and stab. My digital meter reads in tents of degree. I will begin in the .2's, and sneak up until it barely keeps the 0.3 reading. This (I think) keeps me consistent within the +/- accuracy or rounding of the meter.

last thing - be results focused, not transmitter fixated. Also, not a fan at all of the OAxi dual tube stab configuration. Would MUCH prefer they came with adjustable stab 1/2s.
Thanks ( free perspective Lol)
Jim


edit- if you are like me and end up settling with some pitch mix, Futaba has a brilliant "Expo" mix!!! I have often found that I may end up with 2-4% needed! but with + 60% expo. This makes the mix happen closer to neutral on the rudder stick, where as a pure linear mix would need a huge number to have any action around neutral.