dj51d wrote:
How is it any different if this were to happen on a fast taxi or take-off/roll out?
This debate has no right answer- just like the question, "Which is better, a wheel landing or a full stall landing?"
My opinion is that if you do sufficient ground running and a little ramp taxi, you should find out everything you need to know. The problem as I see it is that you run a risk doing a high speed taxi since you must apply power, then cut the power to stop. The power reduction causes a change in torque, p-factor, and gyroscopic procession at a time of poor controllability when you are between flying and taxiing. On landing, this is the same speed that a groundloop is most likely to initiate. Usually you transition through this region of poor controllability rather quickly, but on a high speed taxi you are making a power change right at that time.
To recap, in a high speed taxi you
nearly have enough speed to have good aerodynamic control- but the tail is low and the rudder can be blanked by the fuselage. Then you make a drastic power change. Because of the speed you are light on the wheels so braking is poor or inconsitant, and you generally don't brake at high speed in a taildragger anyhow.
On a completely new (never flown before) design, it might be a good idea to get the tail up soon to ensure you have sufficent down elevator. With insufficent up elevator (or a too forward CG) you would have trouble getting off the ground. That is far better than if you are approaching takeoff speed and you can't get the tail off the ground. This could be as a result of an incorrect stabilizer incidence or a too far aft CG, both bad news from an aircraft stability/controllability standpoint.
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