I've got a Sureflite Mark II Spitfire (~1/9 scale) that I've built - flown - and crashed. I modified the rudder to look like a MKVIII (the pointy one, for the RAAF trim scheme I wanted to use).

Just before take-offs I noticed the plane wanted to veer left pretty harsly; I theorized the culprit to be an overly springy, slightly off-center tail wheel. To roll straight it took a bit of rudder, I presumed that when the tail came off the ground the extra rudder caused the leftward turn.

That was until it crashed. Taking off downhill into a steady N wind, the plane rolled over some dirt clods and bounced into the air ... without enough airspeed. I tried to level out, but it was too late, the wind had already gotten underneath it and it stalled.

It fell off violently to the left, and turned almost 180 deg. toward the ground, in about as altitude as the wingspan; removing the nose from the rear of the cowling and the rudder as it cartwheeled across the field.

I've since repaired the damage. I shortened, straightened and stiffened the tailwheel, and added some wing fillets. But I fear this is not enough to prevent take-off tip stalls. I'm looking for ideas on how to fix this aerodynamics problem without destroying the scale appearance of this pretty little bird.