question,

if for whatever reason a plane is trimmed out for hands off and upon inspection the elevator is not physically at neutral position, could adjusting the stab incidence bring the elevator back in line ?

The simple answer to your question is yes. But, this may not be your problem. Is the cg correct? Are the ailerons set correct(not high or low)? Is the thrust of the engine correct?

All of these can cause your problem also.

It's not uncommon at all for this to happen. It doesn't mean that the designer designed it wrong or that you built it wrong. It just means that the guess about the angle needed for a particular CG point was a little out.

Every model has a specific CG that will result in the elevator and stabilizer being level. But not everyone is happy flying at the same CG or perhaps at the CG placement that results in a level elevator. We tune our models to suit ourselves and that can often result in the CG being put where it makes the model perform to suit how we fly. And since the elevator trim position relates to these other things it's not uncommon at all to find that your elevator isn't lined up with the stabilizer. If you really wish to go to the trouble you could alter the angular setting of the stabilizer OR the wing to bring the elevator and stabilizer into line but most don't bother. And besides, other than possibly on a patterm model it doesn't mean anything other than from an aesthetic viewpoint. If you modify the tail a time or two to line them up then it'll still fly the same.

HI LENNYK! It's a juggling act that is complicated by airfoil selection, and speed range. A well designed pylon racer, or competition sailplane will be set up with the CG in a spot that allows a neutral elevator,[ or stabilator ]while the plane is being operated in the speed range it was designed to do it's business at. When the pylon racer comes in with a dead stick landing, it's no longer in that groove, and the pilot finds himself much more involved with keeping the plane under control. The trainer airfoils, with lots of lift[like a gliders'] are the most difficult to dial in for all speeds. If you find that you have a ridiculous amount of up elevator trim to keep your plane level, then there is something wrong that needs to be looked at.If you do some simple checking with an incidence meter, or with a ruler off of your work bench and don't see anything out of whack, then your CG is maybe the culprit,[ I'm assuming it's too far forward since you didn't complain about pitch control]. Let's say you move the CG back to 25% of the wings' chord[counting ailerons] and the plane becomes over sensitive, then you probably have too much elevator throw. A general statement would be that the push rod should be about 3/4" up on the control horn, and 30 degrees up and down on the elevator should be in the ballpark if you are flying a 40 size plane at typical sport flyer speeds.