Narrative:

My experimental biplane had been chosen to participate in a photo shoot for an aviation publication. The aircraft had to leave ZZZ field to meet with the photo plane at a different airport. After spending much longer than usual on the ground (approximately 25 mins) I was directed by ground personnel using hand signals to one of the active runways. I was then cleared by radio for immediate takeoff and told to expedite because of arriving traffic. As I taxied to take off, I saw an aircraft on about a 1/4 mi final, so I immediately started my takeoff roll. The engine came up to full power for about 2 seconds then lost power, then came back to full power only to lose power again. At this point I aborted my takeoff and told the tower I was having engine problems and needed to abort. Because of the arriving traffic, I started a left turn so that I would be out of the way of the aircraft on final. I was concerned that the arriving aircraft would not be able to stop in time, or not see me at all. I was going a little too fast to s-turn so I could not see the runway marker off the side of the runway. I was going about a fast walking speed when I hit the marker damaging my plane. I feel my mistake was being too concerned with all the active traffic as this was the first day of the week-long event at ZZZ trying not to tie up traffic by being in the middle of the runway with my engine problem. I should have stayed on the runway until I came to a taxiway or waited until slow enough to s-turn so I could see directly in front of my plane, then exit. I also learned my engine is prone to vapor lock with periods of high idle power in high temperature conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANE PLT ABORTS HIS TKOF AND DEPARTS THE RWY HITTING A RWY MARKER AT ZZZ.

Narrative: MY EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANE HAD BEEN CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN A PHOTO SHOOT FOR AN AVIATION PUB. THE ACFT HAD TO LEAVE ZZZ FIELD TO MEET WITH THE PHOTO PLANE AT A DIFFERENT ARPT. AFTER SPENDING MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL ON THE GND (APPROX 25 MINS) I WAS DIRECTED BY GND PERSONNEL USING HAND SIGNALS TO ONE OF THE ACTIVE RWYS. I WAS THEN CLRED BY RADIO FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF AND TOLD TO EXPEDITE BECAUSE OF ARRIVING TFC. AS I TAXIED TO TAKE OFF, I SAW AN ACFT ON ABOUT A 1/4 MI FINAL, SO I IMMEDIATELY STARTED MY TKOF ROLL. THE ENG CAME UP TO FULL PWR FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS THEN LOST PWR, THEN CAME BACK TO FULL PWR ONLY TO LOSE PWR AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I ABORTED MY TKOF AND TOLD THE TWR I WAS HAVING ENG PROBS AND NEEDED TO ABORT. BECAUSE OF THE ARRIVING TFC, I STARTED A L TURN SO THAT I WOULD BE OUT OF THE WAY OF THE ACFT ON FINAL. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE ARRIVING ACFT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STOP IN TIME, OR NOT SEE ME AT ALL. I WAS GOING A LITTLE TOO FAST TO S-TURN SO I COULD NOT SEE THE RWY MARKER OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY. I WAS GOING ABOUT A FAST WALKING SPD WHEN I HIT THE MARKER DAMAGING MY PLANE. I FEEL MY MISTAKE WAS BEING TOO CONCERNED WITH ALL THE ACTIVE TFC AS THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY OF THE WK-LONG EVENT AT ZZZ TRYING NOT TO TIE UP TFC BY BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY WITH MY ENG PROB. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE RWY UNTIL I CAME TO A TXWY OR WAITED UNTIL SLOW ENOUGH TO S-TURN SO I COULD SEE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY PLANE, THEN EXIT. I ALSO LEARNED MY ENG IS PRONE TO VAPOR LOCK WITH PERIODS OF HIGH IDLE PWR IN HIGH TEMP CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.