SG13,

...Depends on what you call successfully...

For many years I tried it with Red Seal THRUST starting "ether". Eventually I called the mfr and found it contained about 25% di-ethyl ether, and the rest except a trace of rust preventive, was n-heptane. That was before MSDS were so easily available, and possibly before they were required as widely as they are today.

Fuels blended from THRUST as ether required more compression to start and set. Heating varied quite a bit, often going too hot to sustain a steady run (I fly CLPA, so the engines are full blast up to around 8 minutes.) Response with ignition improver was even more varying.

So, yes, it worked, but not all that well.

With the John Deere starting ether, I had a problem recently, which I think I've resolved. Local altitude is around 5,000' above sea level, and in Southern Arizona, temperatures over 90° are common this time of year. Fresh mixed 3:3:2 (0 DII) fuel too easily drew foam and bubbles in the fuel line. Caused irregular running (benching a new diesel) as the vapor bubbles were most likely ether w/o oil or kerosene. The bubbles sucked up to the spraybar quicly, of course, but still not quickly enough to prevent that hiccoughing. The next day or so, this tendency vanished.

I figure that some very volatile content in the ether portion was drawn to vapor at the reduced pressure in the line to the spraybar for running as suction feed. Muffler pressure reduced the tendency, and removing a screen filter in the line to the spraybar also helped. When the condition was first noted, the big bubbles were in the line up to the filter, and from the filter on, it looked more like a faucet aerator stream. ...The resistance increase due the obstruction at the filter's screen? A drop or two of Armor-All didn't seem to do much.

So, in future, I plan to let my home-brewed fuels (based on John Deere) 'age' a few days before use. And, where possible, to use muffler pressure to keep pressure on the fuel a bit above "ambient."