Good evening from Spofforth , North Yorkshire.
I’ve an odd lines / handle problem. It goes like this.
1. My 60’ lines are exactly the same length.
2. When I connect up to one particular airplane , my handle is in the correct 90 degree position.
3. After take off , to maintain level flight , my handle is in the ‘climbing’ position , with around 30 degrees .

The flaps and elevators are in alignment.
The C of G is spot on.
Any suggestions much appreciated.

    If you have someone hold the airplane, pull some tension on the lines, and check the neutral position, is your handle still vertical or is it in the "up" position? If your handle is a cable type that can be adjusted, reset it so that the handle is vertical, and they recheck for neutral. Wiggle the handle up and down several times and go back to neutral and recheck it. If things look good, like elevator/flaps are neutral and handle is vertical, does the elevator and flaps have equal movement up and down? If they do, take a short test flight and see if anything changes under flight load. If not, you may have a pushrod that needs the length adjusted to get thing even both ways. If you have a hard point handle that can not be adjusted, then you will need to make custom attachment clips of varying lengths to even things out. One place to start with, is the flap pushrod from the bell crank to the flap horn, and see if the travel is equal in both directions, and if possible check that the bell crank is in a neutral position.  Then move back to the flap/elevator pushrod. Also, check the location of any control horns if they are the bolt on type, to make sure that the pushrod pivot hole is in line with the surface hinge line. If it is off forward or rearward, that greatly affects things. Is the airplane a profile or full fuselage? Most of this is easier done on a profile.
  Type at you later,
  Dan  McEntee

HI Bob ,  PM   sent  ,   Thanks   ,  Ron

Is the engine thrust line zero degrees?  The engine may have down thrust.

Mike,
You making that drive?

Not this time. Hopefully in the future when the kids are a little older.

Interesting discussion.   

I feel you guys may be the last of the builder's era.  If local clubs are any indication of the future, it is not bright.  I belong to 2 clubs.  (It was 3 clubs, but 1 closed Monday.)  The biggest club is about 150 members.  Out of that, there is maybe 3 builders.   I have pushed people to build, by giving them the kit and parts to make it.  One person, a doctor took the offer and built (with a lot of help) a House of Balsa P51, 60 size.  He converted it to electric.  It took about a year. He was successful and I flew it for him.   He was very, very proud of his accomplishment.  I have given kits to 3 other people and none of those ever started the kit.   The reason is they give is WHY?  Why spend the time doing all that work, when they can buy a plane ready to fly and go fly.   I explain that building and fly are two very different tasks.   Building gives one a deep satisfaction and pride when they fly a plane they made.  If you never built one, you cannot know that.  Convincing people to try it, is nearly impossible.   They make stupid excuses that programming the receiver and transmitter for their new FOAM ARF is more difficult than building.  Bull Hockey!!!   I know programming and it does give satisfaction, but not what you get building.   And, as I explain to them, that very ardent task of programming cheats them out of reallyl learning to fly, because they are programming SAFE receivers that virtually fly the plane for them. 

What does it mean to us?  It means the hobby as we love it,  is dying.  Eventually, you will have to confront people like I describe and their demand to fly ARFs or you won't have many competitors.   

I still think you guys that are here now, should consider, just for the hell of it, changing your rules as Sparky suggests.  That would truly get the most out of you, who are the last of the best.