Hey guys i got my alpha 40 out today first time its my first plane i finally got it started just to taxi around with it b.c i dont know how to fly yet and after a while i shut it off and i cant get it started back. i guess i just dont know how to start it or usmthin can u guys tell my the correct way to start it and how to tell if it is flooded or sumthin and ow to tell if the glow plug is bad

geeze it could be alot of things... is your glow starter charged? thats what my problem is most of the time

well is the glow plug supposed to stay red the hole time it is hooked up or should it go out?

it should stay red as long as it is hooked up, and it helps a whole lot if you start it with an electric starter, if you dont have one

what electric starter should i get for it

Go to Tower hobbies and look at their flight line equipment. They have their own brand of starter that's actually pretty good. I believe they sell one produced by Hobbico as well, but I've never used it.

Your glow igniter should be charged for 16 to 24 hours before it's first use (as should your Transmitter and Receiver packs).

If your glow plug is only glowing red, and it goes out, then your glow igniter is pretty much flat. The glow plug should be a bright orange when fully "lit". Do not leave the igniter on the engine for more than the few seconds it takes to start the engine. You'll either burn out the plug or drain the battery.

The glow plug only requires the battery to get the engine started, after that there's a catylitic reaction between the platinum glow element and the fuel which will keep it lit.

Good luck, and have fun.
Dennis-

I have seen lots of engines that would start fine the first time and after they warmed up they would be impossible to start with a stick. You will need to get a starter for it. $20 and you can't go wrong. get you a cordless drill battery and fix it to the rear of it. That is what I did. As long as the battery is 12 volts or a little more. I have a Porter Cable 19.2 on mine.... It spins the motor faster that it fast Idles..LOL
LATER

The glow plug should glow red/orange anytime the igniter is hooked up to it, if it just glows red for a second or two then goes out, the battery is dead, re-charge it overnight and try again later.
Hobbico starters are fine, and inexpensive, had mine for 15 years.

I'll throw my 2c in here.
Get a field box with a 12v gel cell battery. It will have a control panel on it to run your starter, glo igniter, and a fuel pump. That way you have 1 battery to charge instead of separate batteries for your glo igniter and starter.