Should I build it knowing it won't fly as well as other designs? . . .or raise the stab just a wee bit?

"Stripes"--makes a good point. Some of these planes were designed before proportional radios--some have design flaws that you know are easily remedied with subtle changes, without destroying the looks of the original design.

It all depends on what you value most, a plane that is absolutely true to the original, or one that might fly a little better. Many of these designs are "scratch built", all the way from templates etc. Are you going to knowingly build something that will not be as competitive as it can be? When competition is the main purpose for building, there must be a balance somewhere between faithfullness to "planform" and flying characteristics.

I faced this problem when I started building my new King Altairs from scratch. The rudder line was at 45*, (not all that suitable for Knife Edge flight), which back then was not a problem. In the end I kept the planes basic rudder dimensions, and changed the shape somewhat for the sake of flying characteristics.

I happen to have a running correspondence with the plane's designer, Vic Husak, and told him what I was doing all along the way, then showed him the final photo of the completed plane after the first flight. I was delighed that he approved of my changes, so that took some of the "sting" out of any possible criticism I might get from purists Having the designer's approval means a lot to me.

Duane