In my experience the amount of over-correction (fish-tailing) can be reduced if you let the tail wheel lift off the ground early on in the take-off run, so that the rudder does the steering instead of the steerable wheel (assuming that's what you've got). This can really only be done by accelerating slowly, and letting the model fly itself off the ground without much (if any) up elevator when it gets to flying speed.

Banging the throttle to wide-open and pulling full up elevator for a quick take-off (a) keeps the tailwheel firmly in contact with the ground so that it will have most effect and, (b) encourages the plane to jump off the ground before it's reached proper flying speed. (a) causes the model to react to every twitch of your left thumb, and (b) increases the chance of a ground-loop.

hey Floss maybe you should take advantage of that snow you got. put some skis on that thing and you should have no problem taking off straight.

I have some small skiis, maybe I will put them on. Since I haven't been able to take off yet, I don't know if I have lots of power or just enough. I should have enough power to carry the extra weight of skiis.

would I need to put a ski in place of the tail wheel?

if you set your skis up so they are rigid you dont need one on the tail wheel. What i mean is, when you plane is sitting on the ground it is not resting on the tail wheel. it should be sitting just as it would look during flight, with the wings parallel to the ground. It should track pretty straight but if not you still steer with the rudder just like a normal take off. when i use skis i dont really take off from snow. usually just an icy road. If you do that, make sure you have lots of runway, because when you land that thing will slide a long ways.

Originally Posted by ivanc

The "cheating" method is very popular with Quickie pylon racers. It doesn't count as cheating with them - it's the only way to get them in the air fast.

its called hand launching

Not exactly - hand launching is when you hold the plane in the air with your hand and throw it away while the engine is at WOT - normally used for planes without a LG. The "cheating" method is different - the helper holds the tail of the plane while the plane is on the runway. The pilot gives full throttle and when the engine is running at WOT reliably the helper releases the tail - the plane accelerates and takes off usually very fast, so there's no time for it to do a ground loop.

Well all the tips have helped me get into the air. I took a slow take off run and had an uneventful take off. I have an electric motor with a propeller held on by set screws that allowed the propeller to come off... I landed in the long grass and screwed the set screws down really tight for another try.

The next attempt I was drifting toward the pits so put in full rudder and cut the throttle but the plane left the ground and did what looked like a stall turn about 4 feet off the ground and in on the nose it went. I didn't put in any up elevator and think I will put in some down trim after I repair it so that once it leaves the ground it will not climb into a potential stall.

The advice from all of you has paid off. I have to do some repairs but am sure that I will be flying again by next weekend.

I had terrible problems keep mine straight during take off.- going round in circles almost!

Now no problems - I apply full up elev and full thottle, then reduce the elevator gradually as speed increases but always keeping som up applied. Nice straight take off runs now, just watch how much up elevator is in when plane takes off. I have not needed to toe-in the wheels.

PS - can someone explain to me exaclty what a "ground loop" is and what it looks like and what causes it please?

Originally Posted by geofb

. . .
PS - can someone explain to me exaclty what a "ground loop" is and what it looks like and what causes it please?

The answer is in your post:

Originally Posted by geofb

I had terrible problems keep mine straight during take off.- going round in circles almost!
. . .

You pretty much already explained a ground loop.

"- going round in circles almost! "

Thats really all it is. When your plane goes in circles on the ground. I am pretty sure it only happens with taildraggers. I think the most common cause is the pull from the engine. If you have a short distance between your main landing gear and your tail wheel it seems too happen pretty easy too. But I a no expert, just from my experience.

you beat me to it ivanc

Originally Posted by littlewing78

you beat me to it ivanc

Doesn't a ground loop have something to do with the p-factor ?

That is, on a tail dragger the prop's change in angle when it goes to/from a horiz. flight attitude from/to an more upward angle when it is taking off/landing causes a gyroscopic prescessional force which tends to twist the plane.

-Mike

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I never have a problem with the ground loop after the tail lifts off the ground. Its always before. But mikes explanation sounds good too

Originally Posted by littlewing78

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I never have a problem with the ground loop after the tail lifts off the ground. Its always before.

When the tail lifts off the ground the plane has gained enough speed - the fin is effective in keeping the plane straight. At low speeds the fin doesn't do much work.

How prone a plane is to ground looping depends on several factors - distance (width) between the main LG wheels (the wider the less ground looping), location of CG relative to the main LG, distance between CG and LG, distance between distance between the prop and main LG, distance between the main LG and tailwheel. There are also other factors but they do not contirbute considerably.