N7WS:

I used MultiNEC to invoke EZNEC for all calculations. I modeled a
shorter-than-quarter-wavelength vertical, loaded with an inductor, all
of this over perfect ground.

How did you model inductor, as physical zero length inductance?
Did you try substituting (coil) inductor with equal inductance loading stub?
Did you try one of the situations (band, antenna/coil size) that W9UCW
describes in his measurements?
He used almost "perfect" ground of 60 radials for measurement. Results will be
offest by some amount due to varying ground conditions (at very low angles),
but in the same way and this is not the subject of the argument.

The current actually peaks at the inductor;
in other words, the highest current point on the structure is at the
inductor.

That's what W8JI calculated in EZnec, does it make sense? Like 2+2 is 4.5? Why
would inductor "suck" the current up? We should then use "those" inductors to
suck the current all the way to the top of the whip - perfect antenna?
Cecil, can you 'splain that?

3) For a give length radiator, gain is unaffected by where the
inductor is located along the length of the radiator and by inductor
Q.

(If the inductor is zero length?)
This should be huge screaming flag that there is something drastically wrong
with your whole approach. Look at any mobile shootout results and you will see
10 - 20 dB differences, ask Cecil, he wittnessed them.

Looks like we exhausted reasoning, facts, measurements, found what we wanted,
unless there is breakthrough in capturing the effect in modeling software we
are at the end of the rope.
Yea, Eureka!
Thanks!

Yuri, K3BU/m