Hey Rich! I have a Seagull PC9, or did have before a fly-away due to a hit. It's repairable. Let me say it is a very enjoyable airplane, stays where you put it, and lands like a dream. I found that when I turn onto base, I go to half throttle, then after turning final, go to 1/4 throttle and adjust accordingly, chopping power over the thresh hole. Don't go to idle before turning final. Although I did not experience any problem, a friend who had one was on final, a bit slow perhaps, turned final and snapped into terra firma. The PC9 is rock steady in a breeze, like on rails on final. Keep your speed up a bit and a nice gentle flair about 3 feet off the ground, just don't crank the nose way up. When it touches down, there is no bounce; it stays on the ground. It is and was a great flying airplane. I did do some modifications to the color on the bottom of the wing as it is exactly like the top and therefore difficult at times to tell up from down. Send me your e-mail address and I'll send you a jpg of what I did to the bottom. Interestingly, I powered it with an Irvine 53 as well. Great engine.

Now, to answer your questions. Give Horizon Hobby a call at 877-504-0233. I'm sure they have copies of the manual available. I still have mine and would be glad to let you borrow it if they cannot supply you one. I had problems with the Irvine running inverted until I removed the foam around the tank and moved it down about an inch (there is room to do that without any cutting, you'll have to hold the neck of the tank back from the hole that is in the firewall for it - just make sure you don't get any kinks in the lines). I also had to lean the idle up a bit, but the engine really performed well after we did that. The manual gives no information about the location of the tank, but take my word for it, it is the only problem I had with mine - unfortunate that they overlooked that in the engineering of the plane.

The center of gravity: is 3-1/8 inch back from the leading edge at the fuselage sides. Mine balanced with a 5 cell battery just behind the firewall, and the receiver between it and the servos, with just a slight nose-down attitude, balanced up-side down, almost perfectly balanced. I did not have to use any additional weights except in the right wing to counter the Irvine muffler hanging on the left side, to obtain a good lateral balance, and it was only one little section from those lead weights for that purpose.

Control Throws: Initial flying - Ailerons 3/16" up and down; Elevator 5/16 " up and down; Rudder 3/4" right and left. I took some sensitivity out of my throws since this was my second plane (just got back in after a 35 year absence). I took out 65 % exp. with these settings, and it flew very nice, snap-roll on a line at 3/4 throttle (that's where I flew it most of the time) and would go vertical (not unlimited), do a nice snap, then a hammerhead turn at the top as slick as could be.

Control Throws: Aerobatic flying - Ailerons 3/8" up and down; Elevator 5/8" up and down; Rudder 1-1/4" left and right.

You have an excellent plane and will enjoy it very much. I don't think I ever bounced a landing - they were so smooth it was unbelievable. A friend of mine that flies competition using a Giant Scale Extra (35%) flew it and was very impressed. It really grooves well.

If I can be of further assistance - send me an e-mail at [email protected].. Let me know how you come out.

Phillip