Good for you. Having someone with some R/C experience trim and check over the model and tune the engine probably saved you hours and days (as well as potentially hundreds of $$$) and got you off to a good start. Trainers have springhy gear - by no accident. When you get so they come in smooth and stick you have done a good landing. In the mean time they save the airframe. If the gear didn't absorb a hard impact the balsa would . . . to a point.