Thanks, lnewqban. I've useed the Vanessa Machine for several years to balance my giant scale planes.

I know where the CG is and how to estimate it when there are no specifications. The question was " . . . how do I know when the plane is in its straight & level attitude (while balancing)? . . . I've always set the model so that the horizontal stabilizer is horizontal to the ground but sometimes the angle of attack of the fuselage doesn't look right. . . "

Mike