Hey Skillet.
I've maidened about five of these now (a few for work and a few of my own). I can't think of much I wished I did differently, but here are some minor sugestions;
First of all, this plane flies wonderfully, so, other than taking normal precautions (start with the check list in the back of the manual - C.G., throws, range check, etc.), don't get wound up and know that this is a great plane to fly and though aerobatic, on regular high and low rates it is very confidence instilling. You'll be "at home" with it right away.
Okay, onto a few suggestions;
1. Once you have all the controls centered, it might be a good idea to give it a click or two or three of "up" elevator trim before taking off. This way, once you break ground with the application of "up" elevator, and when you release the stick, it will gently climb. What you are doing is making sure the model will need a bit of down trim instead of the other way 'round. Otherwise, if the model needs up trim, when you release the elevator stick the model will unexpectedly dive somewhat. You don't want this during your first takeoff. Understand?
2. A few mechanical things;
A. I found out that replacing the 5/8" screws that hold on the canopy hatch wtih longer, 1" screws will make the hatch more secure. You should use a small drop of threadlocker on the screws, but also using longer ones will help insure that the hatch stays put.
B. Sooner rather than later, I recommend gluing on the canopy rather than using the six wood screws. Over time, the wood screws, if not installed perfectly, can cause the canopy to crack around the screw holes. I used thin CA to glue on my canopy, but use care not to let any excess CA run or drip onto the canopy.
3. The C.G. doesn't seem to be critical on this plane, but for peace of mind, and to insure surprise-free first flights, set the C.G. and throws according to the manual.
4. You're using a DL, right? Set the timer in your Tx (or on your wrist watch) to 12 minutes. This is a good, conservative start and will allow a few minutes for landing if you can't get onto the ground after the timer goes off.
Well, nothing earth-shattering here. Just a few of my ideas.
Let us know how it works out.
Tim