RE: Glowplug burnout
As others have said, it sounds like you're running the engine too lean. I've had glow engines run multiple flying seasons without having to replace a plug. The rule of thumb that I've used is to lean the needle out until maximum RPM is reached, then turn it back towards rich until you see a 300-500 RPM drop. This is a good zone to continually run the engine at. Good luck!