RE: First Flight on a new plane!
Hmm, some obvious things:
1) Check the center of gravity with everything installed less glow fuel.
2) Check, check, and triple check all bolts and screws are nice and tight.
3) Check throws per manual.
4) Check for servo binding and try to eliminate as much as possible (battery drain).
5) Check for reversed servos (not a big deal because it can be fixed in most radios easily).
6) Check prop is nice and tight on crankshaft and check engine mount while you are at it. You should be able to pickup the plane by the nose of the engine.
7) Check that fuel tank has appropriate configuration, a) hose to carb goes to klunk in fuel tank b) klunk should not be rubbing against the back of tank and should move freely c) hose from muffler to tank and up to top of tank (vent) d) check for leaks in the fuel tank if possible
8) Pull all hinge locations firmly to ensure that you don't have any loose control surfaces or poorly glued hinges.
9) All sensitive components (battery, fuel tank, receiver) should be wrapped in foam.
10) Check control horns, linkages, EZ connectors, pushrod snaps, etc for breaks or loose fit.
11) Check servo mounts are installed per instruction manual including rubber grummets.
12) Ensure receiver antenna is not tangled or wrapping around any metal parts (push rods) and if it exits the fuselage at any point, it should be secured appropriately to prevent it from catching on anything during takeoff or landing.
13) Stress the landing gear to ensure that it is installed and doesn't falloff. You can do this by bouncing the plane around a *bit* on a table or the ground. Try pushing the plane around on the ground to ensure the nose gear is close center and not veering off to one direction too much.
14) Have at least one or two experienced builders/flyers check it over because something that might be considered OK for you may be blatantly wrongly configured to someone with more experience.
That's some stuff I can think of based upon what I and my instructor(s) did on my pre-flight checks with my Tiger 2 this season.