Well,
as electric indoor flyer in Sweden, and very recently got my first diesel (for outdoors flying), my impression is that diesels have a bad reputation. Among all things, for instance they give nasty kickbacks (due to small prop. diameter), they never start (due to wrong technique), the fuel is not very healthy to inhale (Kerosene is well known to soften the brain tissue, and ether will get you asleep), and also that unstabilized ether kept under wrong conditions for long time will start producing peroxides, the engines give less power compared to a glow engine with the same weight, the fuel is difficult to get (anyway in Sweden), and so on and so on.

That's my opinion...... but I have only been in to model aircraft for 3,5 years. But my own experiences with glow engines are negative. And my little PAW .09 also did not run well after I had bought it. But after consulting the dealer (Thomas Natansson) who had sold it to me, I went to him, got 3-minute lesson and after that a swore not to look in the users manual again. The little PAW has now got several hours of breaking in, and it is very predictable.

Last week I could lay my hands upon Eric Cluttons diary. My first diesel will certainly not be the last.

Cheers / Ingvar