Now that I am have soloed, I realized that the answer for the crashing on hand launch is the default one: the thing has just too much wing loading. It requires either a windy day or a strong, straight, launch. Now that it takes off from the ground the problem is on landing in a wind-less day. I either come a little too fast (and then I sometimes roll over) or too slow (and then I stall - broke a prop). The only way fro slow landing is to stall just before touch down. The problem would not happen in the Avistar, 4*40 or other low wing loading planes. I just can't give up flying this thing because it is scale (much nicer looking than all the Hobbico/Sig _-Stars).