If your throttle arm is sticking up too high and you want the engine side mounted, try turning the carb around so the linkage is on the other side. Just unbolt the carb from the engine , reverse it, and bolt it back down.

As far as flooding and bending the crank, in a year of flying mine, I've not had a problem with hydraulic lock. The trick is to turn the engine SLOWLY by hand to ensure the cylinder is not full, the exhaust valve will open and drain the excess. If flooding is a problem, use an electric starter. When I start mine, I have to spin it about 3 or 4 seconds, stop, wait a couple of seconds, then spin it again; it always fires immediately on the second spin. Keep the throttle about 1/4-1/3 open while starting. Once I get mine running smoothly, I can shut off the on-board glow, but I generally just leave it on as a backup, since I'm cruising around a lot at 1/4 throttle.