Every once in a while, I will have a full tank of gas and be prepared for a nice 10-15 minute flight. I'll taxi out to the runway and my engine will stop for various reasons (it may stall when I go full throttle or I hit a bump and the prop digs into the dirt, etc.). So I end up having to walk my plane all the way back to where my starter and glow plug hot-shot are located, then restart and taxi all the way back to the runway.

I haven't hand started my engine yet, but I'd like to be able to stick my hot-shot into to pocket just in case the above senario happens and hand start the engine at the runway.

What is the proper hand starting procedure? I've seen other pilots turn the prop clockwise a few times, then forward, then put the hot-shot on the glow plug. What's the right way to do it?

I just put the glow starter on and then flip the prop clockwise by the nose cone. Usually starts right up this way for me.

If you just had your engine running then all you will need to is make sure your throttle is set right and then put on the glow plug and give it a flip with your chicked stick, backwards as if you are looking at the plane from the front.

When I broke in my Super Tiger 40, I did not have my starter at the house. I just grabbed a wood pencil, and went to town flipping the prop counter clockwise until it started. After it was broken in, I could start it with two to three flips if it was cold, and one flip if it was warm.

I have broken a half dozen pencils from backfires though, so if I was using my bare finger, I could have a nasty cut or even worse a missing finger.

So just throw a wooden pencil in your pocket with the glow igniter, and you will be good to go.

If the engine is dieing when going from idle to full throtle, it sounds like you have a mixture issue that needs attention.

You could just get a chicken stick that way you dont break any more pencils

I could, but I had a pack of fresh pencils in the drawer, so I used what i had, and if mr foos does not have a LHS close, he can get creative, as long a screative is not his finger.

Off to Lowes and get a piece of 3/8 dowel. A piece of heater core tubing and you've got yourself a chicken stick.

Or just leave off the tubing. That's how mine is set up... haven't nicked a prop yet..

Flipping the spinner is very cool, really earns points at the field. But you have to have your engine adjusted just right for it to work...

A

There is only one problem with starting the engine on the runway - restraining the plane. It seems inconvenient to take the plane back to the pits, but its the right and safe thing to do. Starting an unrestrained plane seems pretty straight forward, but many people have been surprised when they bumped the throttle picking up the transmitter or some other reason, and the plane jumps forward.

Learning to hand start is a good thing, and it will tell you volumes about how well the engine is tuned. By all means become adept at hand starting, but restrain the plane when you're doing it.

As for procedures, there are many, and your particular engine and set up will dictate what works for you. My procedure for a cold start:

Throttle full open, glow igniter off, finger over carb, and flip the prop with the chicken stick several times. Look for fuel flow in the line, and feel the engine loosen up as the fuel reaches the cylinder.

Throttle closed. Make sure the engine is not in compression.

Grab the prop firmly in your fist, and install the glow igniter. Some people wear a leather glove to do this. Not a bad idea, but I don't do it. I do this in the event the engine kicks, it will not turn over and start.

Release the prop. Double check the plane restraint.

With the chicken stick, turn the prop backwards until you start to feel some pressure against the cylinder.

Now quickly flip the prop backward against the engine compression. Continue this until the engine fires. If it starts backward, kick the throttle to full. The engine may die, turnaround, or just sputter. Keep kicking the throttle until it turns around or dies.

If it runs backward and then dies, switch to flipping forward.

Warm starts just skip the priming step and only flip forward.

Brad

I'll let you in on a well kept secret. Once you discover how easy glow engines are to hand start, you will wonder why you ever got talked into buying an electric starter. Even though I mostly fly electrics now, I flew glow for years and never owned an electric starter. Not even to start four stroke or 1/2 A engines.

Cold weather tip: Prime with ligher fluid instead of glow fuel. A few drops of Ronsonal or Zippo in the venturi and they light right up when the temps drop below 50 F.

Does anybody manage to do a hand start standing (kneeling) behind the plane, or the wing actually?
If that can be done, it would fix the safety issue of starting an unrestrained plane.

The awkwardness of that creates a danger in and of itself.

I hand start all of my two-strokes. It's really quite simple. Prime as you normally would, give it about 1/4 throttle, and flip the prop through the compression. Some people prefer to flip against the compression. Either technique gets the job done. Occasionally you'll find yourself with an engine running backwards, which is no big deal. Blip the throttle and it'll either flip over or die.

I don't agree with the advice above about priming with a chicken stick. When you prime the engine, take a firm grip on the prop and pull it through the compression. Feel can tell you a bit if you're having problems.

Restraining a 40-size plane while you hand start it is no big deal. Grip the model with one hand one the fuselage behind the engine while you flip the prop with the other. I don't use a chicken stick, but that's just me. I've been doing this for a long time and am a bit set in my ways. So long as you're mindful of what you're doing, you'll have no problems at all in restraining the model.

The one problem that sometimes occurs with ABC-type engines is that they can be hard to hand-start when they're hot. They don't have as much compression, and sometimes you have to wait a few moments for them to cool just a bit. Getting to know your particular engine usually sorts this out.

One thing to be mindful of is your surroundings. Don't sit out on the runway dinking around with your engine when people are flying. Move off to the side, or back to the pits. A little common sense and courtesy can go a long way.

I usually drop my glow driver in a pocket once I've got my engine started. I don't often have to use it once I've started the engine, but it's handy to toss to the other guys if they happen to need it.

I just sawed off a foot off my wifes broom handle

This guy apparently does.[X(]

I thought about doing that, but I didn't want to mess up her transportation.

Mmmm, what exactly makes it awkward? (I am currently an electric flyer, so do not have any set ways with glow)

I realise a high wing would get seriously in the way, but what about low and mid wing planes?
Just the idea of reaching around the prop to hold the plane gives me creeps.

When using a chicken stick, you actually have the stick in contact with the prop for about 200 degrees of rotation.... If you try that from behind the engine, the fuse and engine is in the way.

The only safe way to start then engine without reaching around the prop is to have someone else hold the plane. or have a cradle that holds the plane securely. I have a cradle built into my field box.. but honestly I only use it as a soft place to set the plane upside down while attaching wings... I usually have the tail strapped to a stake, Reach around with my left hand and hold the plane, and use an electric starter with my right.

Mostly the wing and the angle. You'd also be pushing the trailing edge of the prop. When you're in front of the engine, you can rest your fingers flat against the blade of the prop. Pushing against the trailing edge would, for me, make me want to curl my fingers around to the rest against the blade.

It really isn't at all awkward to hold the model from the front. You've just got to be mindful of the prop, which is something we all need to be anyway. Like anything in the hobby, if you're uncomfortable doing something you probably shouldn't do it--the point is to enjoy yourself.

BWAHAHAHAHA!

I always hand start but I've never used a chicken stick. Hand starting is actually extremely safe if you use a bit of common sense, the danger comes after the engine has started. As for reaching around the prop to hold the fuselage, if I had 10 people restraining the model I'd still hold it. It's a way of resisting the reaction to the force you use to flick the prop and to keep your balance. And it reminds you where the prop is.

Imagine that, you and I are in agreement!

I`ve been working on bump starting, flipping it back on compression, works great on a few of my engines and you never touch the prop except to prime.

That method works particularly well with four stroke engines of all sizes. Prime the engine good and wet, close the throttle to idle, light the plug, and then grab the spinner, not the prop, and give the engine a spin in the reverse direction. Voila!! an idling engine. It also works with the larger two strokes. I have seen at least one person start his ducted fan jet engine that way.
The trick here is that you are not trying to turn the engine through the compression stroke. You are giving the prop a good spin so that it hits the compression stroke with its momentum. The engine kicks back (forward) and reverses. Your fingers should be off of the spinner before the reverse compression stroke even begins.

Lots of comments regarding safety when hand starting. The only true way for your own safety is to have someone else start your engine for you and make all the adjustments while you hold the plane by the tail feathers.

There was a time when we didn't have electric starters! Gads! The first one I saw was a Packard (I'm dating myself here) starter motor with a 6 volt battery and a bit of garden hose attached to the shaft. They used Packard starters because they had long shafts. This was all enclosed in a wooden box with a starter solenoid laying on the ground for you to step on. Crude but very efficient.

Hand cranking was the order of the day and we were flying Control Line with the throttleless carbs wide open. You quickly learned not to flood the engine by too much priming - still a valuable lesson. Plus, when you finally ran the flood out (in very small bursts) the engine was perfect for backfiring and catching your finger. Hard learned lessons but you soon got the hang of it.

Placement of the prop when the engine comes up on compression is important too. The prop should be horizontal when it comes up on compression. This gives you an arc that will let your fingers clear before it comes back and gets a finger.

Good luck. When you are seen at the field hand cranking everyone knows you are an "old timer" with emphasis on the "old" part!

Phil

I was at a recent full scale fly-in which had about four J-3 Cubs. They all started them from behind the prop.

I've flown CL for over 40 years and still do. Most of our engines are all plain bearing supported crankshafts and usually with no spinner. We hand flipped everything from Cox .049's up to Fox 35s and up to 60 size 2-strokes. It is most impressive to watch the CL combat guys get their "one hit" starts and launch within mere milliseconds of the horn going off. Those are pressure fed, high compression engines with a small prop. They always rotate the prop counter clockwise just until it comes up against the compression stroke (the prop should be horizontal). Then they'll smartly hit the right hand blade downward and (with the correct amount of prime) the engine instantly starts and is screaming away at 20,000 rpm with no muffler. [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

With the advent of razor sharp carbon props some serious injuries caused the CL aerobatics folks to change their starting rules and allow electric starters.

I fly mostly small 2 cycle (.15-.46 size) engines and very nearly hand start them all. On my BB .46 powered RC ship, I mostly use the electric starter but have started it by merely twisting the spinner clockwise.

Four cycle engines I wouldn't use anything but a starter...