ORIGINAL: Witterings
............ this is the 1st balsa plane I've had as the rest have all been foamies.
Foamies aren't even real airplanes, IMHO, and the more you fly balsa planes, the more you will understand why I say that. I don't want to put foamies down, so don't take it that way, but they will flex and bend under stress, so they aren't the most precise things made. When the airframe alignment constantly changes during the flight, that's just not good, and once you fly a precision plane you won't put up with it anymore.
You can't put the plane where you want it to go if it doesn't go where you point it. I'm sure that sounds too simple, but the basic truths always are.
....the stabiliser may not be 100% level with the main wings but it's absolutely nominal and I would say my other plane has a FAR greater variance but doesn't affect that.
Now you are flying a precision airplane and it's a different world. If the stab is on crooked, even a little, that in itself will steer the plane. Obviously more is worse, but even a litte effects the way the plane files. If a crooked stab is steering the plane when it's nearly stalled, this is especially bad and might be where your problem is coming from.
.......as I mentioned before it always seem to be when coming out of manoeuvres that have been heading straight down and then when I'm give up elevator to bring it back to level flight.
You are probably pulling real hard because the ground is coming up (and who can blame you?), and the more crooked the tail, the worse the plane is going to deviate from straight flight, especially if you are cranking back on the stick.
This is probably the most salient advice on the thread. If you can hook up with this guy in person he can fly the plane, tinker with the set up, and probably get it perfect for you.