It did fire as a chainsaw. Perhaps I am just not seeing the spark, or perhaps I need to turn it over faster.
For using a starter or drill: will I need a spinner for this or can I use a socket right on the prop nut (actually a bolt in the case of my adapter). My concern would be that the drill would just loosen the prop nut or the adapter itself rather than turning the engine over (seeing as they are right hand threaded and the engine turns ccw.)