A GREAT LAKES 2T-1A-2 ON TAXI AT IDLE SPD THE TAILWHEEL BLEW OUT CAUSING ACFT TO VEER SHARPLY TO L AND DEPARTING TXWY. ACFT DAMAGED.

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TAXIING AT IDLE SPD (800-900 RPM) FOR DEP RWY 29. WIND 300 DEGS 10 KTS. TAILWHEEL TIRE BLEW OUT (ACUTELY DEFLATED). ACFT SHARPLY SWERVED L (ALMOST AT R ANGLE TO TXWY) CAUSING LOSS OF CTL. MINOR DAMAGE TO WHEEL FAIRINGS AND PROP STRIKE. NO INJURIES TO PLT OR PAX. SEVERAL YRS AGO I RPTED SOMEWHAT SIMILAR OCCURRENCE ON LNDG. SEVERE VIBRATION OF TAILWHEEL; THEN SWERVED TO L AND LOSS OF CTL. NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS ACFT (GREAT LAKES) HAS HISTORY OF TAILWHEEL PROBS: FLAT TIRES; VIBRATION; AND 'LOCKING-UP' WITH LOSS OF CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS A GREAT LAKES BIPLANE OF WHICH ABOUT 200 ARE IN SVC. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE INCURRED PROP AND WHEEL FAIRING DAMAGE IN THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR STATED IT IS HIS BELIEF THE TAILWHEEL AND TAILWHEEL COMPONENTS ARE OF POOR DESIGN AND FAULTY. THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER THIS INCIDENT A TECHNICIAN DISASSEMBLED THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY AND OTHER THAN THE HOLE IN THE INNER TUBE EVERYTHING WAS OK FOR SVC. THE RPTR SAID CONTACT WAS MADE WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT OPERATES 3 GREAT LAKES AIRPLANES AND THE RPT FROM THE TECHNICIANS WAS NO TAILWHEEL INCIDENTS OTHER THAN TIRE WEAR HAVE BEEN RPTED. THE RPTR STATED THE TECHNICIANS ADVISED HIGHER INFLATION PRESSURES IN THE TIRE. THE RPTR SAID CONTACT WAS MADE WITH A KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON ON GREAT LAKES AIRPLANE MAINT; BUT COULD OFFER NO INFO ON THE TAILWHEEL PROB EXCEPT OVER INFLATION OF THE TIRE IS NOT RECOMMENDED.