Sorry for the silence. I got the engine running last week and plugged one of the pipes with a wood plug. Started right up and as I was about to taxi out I dropped my transmitter. The throttle lever was hit and went wide open. Airplane jumped into my starter battery and the prop went in several pieces. Don't have a replacement prop yet so I don't know what it will do but I suspect it has to be better. Actually, I didn't want to admit to such a dumb thumbs move.

if it weren't for bad luck, right?

Jim, hurry up and solve your problems and let us know what fixed the thing. I have one that is snake bit also. Does exactly as yours does, will snap in a millisecond. Only 1/4" throw on the elev low rates. Not tail heavy. Snaps so bad I Just can get it off the ground. Put it in the rack for now. I have tried everything I know or has been suggested.

One thing I do know is that if you are using dual elevator servos you MUST make sure they are moving EXACTLY the same amount and there is no offset between the two elevator halves. Also, before Big Dummy broke his prop he did try one other thing I forgot to mention. If you're using a computer radio, mix in flaps with elevator. It tends to smooth out the pitching moment of the airplane. If you don't have flaps, set the ailerons up as flaperons then mix it with the elevator. Just a small amount of flaps with elevator is sufficient. It also helps on landing approach as it slows the plane down some. The engine runs good on the ground, I just haven't had a chance to fly it since breaking the prop. Main problem is I have too many projects going at once. Three engines to run, two airplanes to repair, one airplane to finish, etc., etc.

There is something strange about this plane. I changed the incidence of the wing and rounded the leading edges and I got it to fly ok(this was one of the original models). It did the 3-D stuff pretty well but it always had an uncomfortable overall feel to it. Definitely fly your first flights on the recomended low rates and maybe move the CG forward a bit.