The manual or plans aren't written by any diety, they aren't always the "best" location, and frequently they are conservitively nose heavy to make sure the first flight isn't a very short one
Montague,
No they are not written by and deity, However they are usually set up as you put it "conservitiely " to ensure a succesfull first flight. A goal I'm sure all beginners are looking for.
the plans or instructions are usually more than good enough for a trainer and most sport flyers.
Actually the above statement was my point and you said it more clearly then I.
Alot of the questions posed here are already answered by the instructions. Something that seems to get overlooked.
While I agree with you that flight testing is the only way to determine "best" CG for a given plane, However I believe that most beginners especially someone trying to learn without an instructor are not going to be able to tell the difference. (Which was the intent of raabid's post) In this case I believe following the instructions to the letter would be the wisest course of action.