Humm.. I see you are back from the UK Don and asking questions again ..hope you enjoyed your visit.

Fortunately for scale buffs there is no need to have everything zero'd out ... I cant think of anything worse looking than something like a Fokker DVII with its tail at zero [:'(] I totally agree with Jim Messer that on flat or undercampered wings, they have to have a slight positive incidence with respect to the tail incidence for the aircraft to fly . I also believe that it is the incidence of the main wings relative to the fuz datum line and not the incidence of the tail that makes the aircraft fly with its "Tail in the air / or tail down" If the tail incidence is out .. as Boomerang1 said .. you dial in trim for level flight .. a "draggy" solution but it will still fly fine... and the fuz will still be at the angle dictated by the main wings. I work in reverse from Jim as I dont have an incidence meter. Going by the 3 view, I set the main wings to the angle on the drawings .. then set the tail keeping in mind that the main wing needs some positive... I also put a couple of degrees downthrust on the engine. Next is the maiden flight and I trim the model out at cruising speed, land and check the elevator/tailplane (stab) are in line ..no up or down trim.. if trim is applied .. I reset the tailplane until it is in line with elevator. Once happy I then fly again under different throttle settings and adjust downthrust as required ... ok ..not scientific, more trial and error, but .. It works for me and I never could understand all them forumlae to do it technically. All my models fly fine though they certainly are not the most efficient flyers .. but then..were old canvas jobs efficient to begin with