Hi Ice,
Thanks for taking the time to have a look. Your check list does do a good job getting the thing off the ground in one piece.
My problem was that the handbooks call for running up to 7000 rpm while stationary with the brakes on. I used to be able to do that without making the thing go bang, but now not so much.
Than again I'm certain that IL-2 patches are the ultimate proof of the placebo affect in action. Most of the changes are only in our heads.