RE: One flick starts, is this a myth?
Wal and I have regularly competed in our local NSW's Diesel Goodyear races.
It's a speed limited event restricted to 27 for 10. Any faster and you have to have an extra pitstop.
Tuning the engine (before the race) to give that speed is imperative. You have to get as close to 26.8 for 10 as possible.To win you simply have to have very quick pitstops.
We have won this contest quite a few times and when and if we win we have 1 flick starts throughout the race heats and finals.
We have no special tank or primer. It's a squeeze bottle event.
We are up against some very well known long time expert teams and have managed to become one of the fast teams.
You have to have a good engine, we use a Nelson 15 D side exhaust. The problem isn't making the speed, with the Nelson it's getting to go slow enough and also getting it reliable throughout the tank so it doesn't get fast or slower from the beginning of the tank to the end.
I have in the I past favoured the big bang style of flick bending only from the trunk. At the start of a race I'd hold the outboard tip of the model down with my left toe. The swing would start from above head height. Very rarely did I not get and instant start. However, if I missed the prop as I've done a few times, you can impale the tip of your finger on the very sharp point of the APC props we use. On one occasion I wound up with temporary nerve damage !!!!
My back has now made significant protests to this style of pitting so now I have to kneel (not easy for me with a full RH knee replacement) and I can't get quite the same amount of power into the swing, but it was still good enough to win the last contest we entered.
I have the prop set at 1 pm.
It works for Wal and I and also his R250 diesel is of course a 1 flick starter too.
As anyone will tell you, you need a round cylinder liner and a well set up piston sleeve. The correct comp/prop/tank/fuel and lastly technique, then it's a doddle.
Take a look at the YouTube pit stops of Grant Potter at the 2008 WC to see perfection
Here's the link, the clip is only 6 seconds in total, he catches, refuels and restarts in even less time!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLp1EucCQWw[/youtube]