Jb, I know exactly what you are talking about with the first flight of your yak. I taught myself to fly with a nexstar trainer 5 or 6 years ago. With the recommended throws on that plane, the sticks had to be moved a lot to get any response from the plane. My second plane was a sig something extra that was set up with the recommended low rates on all control surfaces. On the maiden of that plane I was out of control the minute the wheels left the ground. I was not prepared for such a sensitive plane and like you I hadn't taken the time to learn about dual rates and expo. I know exactly what you are saying about the stick pressure. It seemed like just breathing on the sticks would cause the plane to react. Well, after about 30 second in the air, being out of control the whole time, the plane ended up nose down in a soybean field. After fixing the slight damage and reducing the low rates even more I ended up with a great flying second plane. That was my biggest bump in my learning path was going from the stick response of a trainer to the stick response of an acrobatic plane.

Since then I also learned how to set up expo and dual rates and have flown the heck out of three extras, a 20cc, a 50cc, and a 111cc. I would agree with Speeds suggestions or maybe even lowering the ailerons to 25 degrees and the elevators to 10 or 12 degrees if you are still not comfortable with the sensitive stick response of an acrobatic plane. If the plane is built square and the incidences are all close those settings will let you get your plane up and down in one piece on the maiden.

Pat