Reading these posts I wonder how any of the writers ever get a successful flight. There are so many variables to operating an aircraft with conventional gear that nobody have touched upon.

For instance, yes you hold full up elevator when you are going into the wind or downwind with power. But if turned downwind with the engine at very low power and you hold full up, you are removing the down force from the tailwheel. It is proper to hold down elevator in that circumstance.

Yes to holding a bit of elevator on the initial takeoff roll. But it needs to be released as soon as possible to avoid taking off with the wing stalled. What you do want is to get the tail in the air as soon as possible and build speed. With just a touch of down trim, the model will stay glued to the runway for as long as you like. Meanwhile, with the tail in the air, the airplane will ground steer as well as any model with a nosegear. Once flying speed is achieved you simply lower the tail and the airplane will lift off.

The bigest mistakes usually made are not using the rudder to overcome the tendency for the model to turn left, and not smoothly advancing the throttle to full power.

Cross winds also seem to create undo problems. Use the ailerons into the wind. If the wind is from the front left quarter, then you need to hold left aileron. You use alot initially, and decrease the amount as the airplane picks up speed. BTW, using ailerons while airplane is in taxi also helps prevent the airplane from flipping over. Just remember that if the cross wind is from the front, you bank into it. When it is from the rear, keep the upwind aileron down (bank away from the rear quartering tailwind).

Does all of this sound difficult? It is. But after you learn how to master a tailwheel model, you will be a much better pilot. You will also be much safer for those around you, since the model will travel down the center of your runway under your control instead of taking what the wind does to it.