There's an ANZAC connection to my father. He was stationed on Palawan, P.I., flying B-25's, mostly against Japanese shipping. They got a call from an Aussie commander (British, of course) pleading for air support as they had been trying to take a mountain pass in Borneo. With the three previous attacks being costly in casualties, they finally called someone. Dad's and two other B-25 crews took off to see what they could do, with ol' Dad being the lead plane/mission commander. They flew over at high altitude, so as to appear oblivious to the Japanese defenders, and made their plan.

The plan was rather strange. They feathered their props and idled the engines, gliding down the slope in relative silence, one behind the other. And, they got lucky, because they arrived and attacked as the evening meal was being served. Rifles neatly stacked in the usual conical method. The B-25's straffed and bombed and flew away into the sunset, with no munitions left. Three days later, they got a message from the Aussie troops that they took the pass without opposition. If you know what mountain pass that would have been, I'd be interested. I haven't been able to figure it out. Malaysia now.  Steve

This is the closest I can find on the Borneo action in 1945. The tactics you describe were pretty much general Allied practice in that time frame. One story I'm familiar with that a friend's RAAF father got a DFC for a glide bombing raid on a Japanese Airfield at about 2am on the morning of a nearby planned Allied Landing. He glided a PBY-5 at 50' over the main dispersal area and dropped four bombs on all the armed and gassed up aircraft. They could see the glow of the fire at 50 mile distance.

[begin quote]
 Labuan–Brunei Bay, on the north-west coast of Borneo, was the scene of landings on 10 and 16 June 1945 which formed the second phase of the Allies’ campaign to seize the island from the Japanese. The operation, codenamed ‘Oboe 6’, was conducted by the 9th Australian Division commanded by Major-General George Wootten—less the 26th Brigade which was still engaged at Tarakan (q.v.)—and involved a total of more than 29,000 men. The objective of the invasion force was to secure the ground needed for an advanced fleet base to be established, and also to protect oil and rubber-producing facilities in the area. On the morning of 10 June, following a heavy air and naval bombardment, the 24th Brigade (2/28th and 2/43rd battalions) was put ashore on the southern end of Labuan Island in the entrance to Brunei Bay. At the same time the 20th Brigade was landed on the southern edge of the bay—the 2/17th Battalion securing a beach-head at Brunei Bluff on the mainland of Borneo itself, just north of the town of Brooketon; the 2/15th seizing the small Muara Island close by. The enemy had retired to defensive positions away from the beach-front, so there was no opposition to any of these landings; Muara was quickly found to be ungarrisoned by the enemy anyway.

On Labuan, the town and airfield were both secured by dusk at a cost of only a few casualties to steadily increasing Japanese resistance. When the Australians pressed their attack over the next two days, however, the surviving Japanese withdrew into a stronghold dug into a tangle of jungle-covered ridges on the edge of a mangrove swamp little more than a kilometre west of the airfield. Realising that a full-scale attack would be needed to subdue the enemy resisting in what became known as ‘The Pocket’, a five-day barrage was laid down before infantry and tanks advanced on 15 June. After only a few posts were taken, but two tanks damaged by the defenders, it was decided to continue the bombardment before making a further attempt. In addition to artillery, gunfire from the Australian cruiser Shropshire and aerial bombing was also brought to bear. On 21 June two companies again assaulted The Pocket, supported by tanks (some with flamethrowers). About 180 Japanese were killed in the attack, bringing to 389 the number of enemy dead since the Labuan landing; Australian dead numbered 34. [end quote]

Clark, Chris. The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles (p. 252). Allen & Unwin. Kindle Edition.

If you have 1-5/8 up and down with 1" flaps both ways that means you did a good job on the controls. The fact it travels more down at full lock doesn't mean anything. It would turn better on the outsides if it did but you're not going full lock either way.

If you shorten the push rod it will give you more lift for the insides wich would seem to the opposite of what you need but, I think most planes are set up to have level elevator with the flaps hanging slightly down. It helps you groove in level flight is my understanding and all my planes are set up that way.

Most planes have  a tiny bit of positive incidence in the stab because the opposite would cause allot of problems. If you tried to get it to zero you may infact have up elevator built in. Hope not.

I have fixed several planes that had uneven turning problems by adjusting the thrust line. Make some thin brass shim stock washers to put under the engine bearers. Pretty much an instant fix.

I don't use line offset to adjust my handle but I do have a way to set neutral that works for me. Before take off hold the handle where neutral feels natural to you and hold it there as the plane takes off. If it hugs the ground shorten the up line, if it jumps up too quick shorten the down line.

Good luck, hope you don't have to cut into it.

MM

If it's easy, try a little downthrust. If that doesn't get it done, adjust the elevator pushrod shorter.

Many years ago, a club member built a really nice Brodak Profile Cardinal. It didn't fly all that well, and I got pressured into flying it, which I didn't really want to do. But I did, and I think a few insides and outsides made me not want to fly any more tricks. Upon landing, I suggested 1/2 turn on the elevator pushrod (to give a wee bit of down relative to flaps). One more flight and it flew so much different, I was impressed and did some triangles. At that time, I still wasn't doing the full pattern. What I learned is that it doesn't take a big adjustment to make a huge difference. I'd cut that silkspan hatch out, adjust it and cover the hole with the piece of silkspan and clear packaging tape.  Steve

Alan Resinger flew several Stalker .61's in a .46-sized Gypsy. You might ask him or Chris Cox for opinions. Alan and Chris both then switched to electrons and Alan's flying improved a lot, IMO due to better line tension with electro.  Steve

Syringes are plentiful and cheap.  You can use them to limit the fill for first flights (short tanking), as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Syringe-20-Pack-Plastic-Syringes-Individually/dp/B09KRG8KYQ/ref=asc_df_B09KRG8KYQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=647241205888&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8613976217700707094&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1027116&hvtargid=pla-1954200792424&mcid=6d10d311f81837cc8c5c88ec426aaf31&th=1