You're lucky, very lucky. The following extracts sum up the reason why people should not attempt to fly a plane that's beyond their experience level.
ORIGINAL: mazer
Anyway, I got the thing put together and engine started (it has an os .46 in it) and began my taxi. I went, oh.....2 feet and it nosed over. Okay....not a great start....pulled it back, started it up....began taxiing again....2 feet...nosed over.
This would have been a good point to stop, admit that the plane was beyond you, and ask for help.
Funny, it didn't do that for Mike.... I DID notice that since I fly off of a grass field that as soon as the bird rolls forward the tail starts to lift.....and at that point one of the old timers at the field walks over and says "you know, a little bit of elevator will keep that tail down while taxiing"....AH HA! So, I drag the plane back, start it, taxi, add elevator and WALLA! No nose over! This isn't so bad! It's a little odd though with the left hand using the rudder and the right holding the elevator.....but okay....so I get to the end of the field. I start to give it throttle and the plane starts rolling down the runway.....umm...it is going left....a lot....dangerously ......so I abort the take off....and go back to the end of the runway. The old timer walks up to me and says "Ya know....full right rudder on take off would probably correct that problem"....and I KNOW I heard him as he walked away saying "rookie".
Another lost opportunity, the guy obviously was trying to help. Asking him to stay with you, and perhaps talk you through the takeoff a few times before you tried again, would have been a good idea.
Okay....so...full elevator while taxiing, full right rudder on take off AND elevator....the Alpha was WAY easier....so....before I begin my take-off I've got full elevator, and full right rudder.....and away I go....plane is moving STRAIGHT down the runway...ease off the elevator the tail comes up immediately, pull back on the elevator and let go the rudder and it takes off...and goes left....left....adjust the trim, and it straightens out, of course the plane is now behind the safety line and flying over the parked cars in our parking lot, not good, got it back over the field where it belongs....and I DEFINITELY heard the old timers laughing and the word "real rookie" flying around in the pits....also I noticed that as soon as the plane went left everyone went into the covered pits.....just in case.
The preceding mostly speaks for itself. You're damn lucky it didn't snap roll (a very common thing in this kind of situation) into one of the parked cars or the pits.
The plane was a rocket even at 1/4 throttle, and was a blast to fly, but I felt it was time to try a landing, so I put the gear down and let the field know I was bringing it in...and no one ran into the pit! Came in low and slow, and touched down on the runway.....the plane nosed over...hard. The hobbico mechanical landing gear snapped at the wing......but thankfully it didn't hurt anything else.....cracked the cowl a little bit, but an easy fix.
So, let's sum up your first warbird flight. You nosed it over several times before you even got it to the runway, lost control during the takeoff and flew over the pits/parking lot, and broke the landing gear and cowl on landing.
I think your experience goes a long way toward justifying why those of us who have "been around for a while" recommend more experience before flying a warbird, and seeking help when transitioning from a trike to a taildragger. Thanks!