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    $\begingroup$ "For very powerful airplanes, the tail will sometimes come up on its own" -- so what causes it in this case? $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 21, 2021 at 6:43
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    $\begingroup$ @nanoman, the prop wash acting on the elevator surfaces, with the ground close by, can lift the tail off the ground. This happened in the P-51 Mustang if the pilot did not hold the stick back on his roll until he was properly lined up to complete the roll on the main gear, at which point he would then push the stick forward a but to lift the tail on purpose when he was ready for it. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 21, 2021 at 8:14
  • $\begingroup$ @nanoman, are you familiar with weathervanes? The tail has a lot of surface area and it wants to align with the relative wind. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 27, 2021 at 19:25