Hi Richard!! Leave the offset alone!! OFFSET IS YOUR FRIEND RICHARD!! .......as well as being My friend too. She a Babe to fly and very friendly a real *****cat that loves to take it easy. The most important thing anyone can do for an r/c aircraft is to be real sure the set-up is in good order before initial take-off. These smaller aircraft are not much different that the full size beast that fly everyday. In fact most of the full size aircraft started out as models. My teacher/mentor has been flying r/c for over 40 years. He started out when there was no remote control. Flying only free flight, then later single rudder remote when they came out with it for the first time.
In short your set-up will have the most effect on how your aircraft will fly. The Tiger Moth was born to be a trainer in the full-scale size and so it should be in the scaled down version. I have mine set up so that all the flight surfaces are level with each other. Since the wings swept back and have dihedral in them it is a very stable flying machine. Each degree of sweep back acts like 1 degree of dihedral thus promoting stability. The right angle offset on the engine is just enough and I'd leave it alone. On take off, my elevator, rudder and ailerons are set at neutral. She scoots down the runway for about 15 feet then breaks ground, at that time I use only about 1 degree of up elevator. I hold that at a steady climb as she gains speed then level off at about 100 feet in the air. Then I allow her to gain a comfortable speed. Since she's a biplane she will have some drag to over come as in all biplanes. Mine comes in at about
11 LBS. My CG is at about 8 inched back on the top wing where the rear cabin struts attach. At this point she hangs level with only about 1-degree nose down and with an empty fuel tank. I'm using a 16/6 APC prop and I'm flying at about 3000 feet above sea level.
If you have any more questions be sure to write back and I will help the best I can. Happy Flying Richard and have a good day!!
Laterzzzzzzzzz
Dolan ~wingman~ Gallier