Good story Cork. I could see a guy screwing up with the torque on coming from something like a Mark 9 and going to a Mark 14 (or whatever the Mark was that used the Griffon).
Torgue is dicey. The bigger the engine, the more torque you get. Not sure if it because of enging power or prop power. I've flow a radial with a large wooden prop and the thing does kick to the side when you open the throttle. If I recall right, it torqued to the right. It just swings the nose in the direction the prop is turning towards. Kind of embarressing to hit the throttle and all of the sudden be sitting sideways (more likely on a 45 degree angle) in the center of the runway. You think to yourself "Wow, that was fast" (it was) and "I hope nobody saw that" (they did).
The trick is to ease the throttle on and push it full foward when you're already moving. Less torque then. Oh, and it also kicks back the other way when you chop the throttle. Not as much though.
But ya' know, you forget. Few drinks the night before, some random blonde standing on the side of the runway to distract ya' and...