i dont know if this was my error but i doubt it...i had the engine running earlier and was perfect (running it in..barely had 10 mins on it)

Suction is rediculous to the carb for glow fuel...i check fuel lines and they are in correct order (blow in tube from exhaust it goes out carb line and blow carb line nothing out exhaust line)

so went out tonight to run it in a bit more and flick started the engine...started BUT was spinning the wrong way...now maybe i am living in fairy tale land here but the wind was rushing forward in the wrong direction. what happened?

prop is on the right way...earlier today it worked fine. i spin counter clockwise as normal.

It's not a big deal though. Sometimes they start in reverse when hand starting them. It generally means the low speed setting is a little rich. 4 strokers will do the same thing too.

If it starts in reverse, 'sometimes' you can get it to go the correct way by blocking the muffler and just before it quits unblock the muffler, it will usually bounce back into normal rotation. (this method is to be done at idle though)

Using an electric starter won't let it start in reverse.

ah no probs...so if i flick it and it does that just stop and flick it again and it should start the right way...i do have a starter but need a new rubber insert for it as i use it for the heli adapter and it is worn out.

Two stroke engines can easily start backwards and run that way, especially if they were overprimed as stated earlier. It happens to me a lot. I just slowly close the throttle with the idle trim on the transmitter and there is a point right before the engine dies where it will reverse all by itself and run forward. When that happens, I reopen the throttle and fly.

When a four stroke reverses, it's burning fuel that enters the muffler through the muffler pressure tap. All you can do with those engines is to stop it and restart after making sure that the fuel line to the carb is full of fuel. When these engines run backward, the carb becomes the exhaust and the pressure will blow the fuel out of the fuel line.

cheers for the quick anwers. had me panicking a bit as i have never seen it happen. but my problem began when the radioo crystal came out and i lost control on the ground...it was clamped down. so was a mad panic with no radio throttle cut...and a prop going the wrong way lol

Here's a fun fact for you..quite often, hand flipping the engine the wrong way and it will bump back and start running the right way...two stroke glow eingines run fine either direction because of timing...Rog

I always start my glow engines by flipping them the "wrong" way. I dont actualy push it all the way through the compression but just bump it off of the compression and then it will kick over and run the right way. The bigger the glo engine is the harder it is to flip start them all the way through the compression so the bigger ones are easer to bump start backwards. If your starting small engines in the normal running direction just make sure when you flip it you flip all the way through the compression and that your not just bumping off of it and it will start in the correct direction.

Also make sure you set your fail safe correctly. If you radio looses connection with the receiver you should have it set to KILL the engine. This is important trust me I learned the hardway and ruined both wings on a 25%er. When I accidently turned the radio off instead of hitting the trim dn button to kill the engine like I was trying to do it went full throttle out of control into a run up table.

get the insert for the starter and solve your problem....plus possibly save your fingers
Good flyin to ya

Fix your starter or get the proper insert.

I have never owned an electric starter and all my fingers are still there. Never even had to get stitches or anything like that. Engines can be just as safely started with a chicken stick as they can with an electric starter. I have seen other people get bit by a prop and every one of those incidents involved an engine that was already running, usually while adjusting a needle valve or an unexpected throttle up while in front of the plane.

There have also been some pretty bad prop accidents involving electric planes, and you don't even have to start them.

I respectfully beg to differ with File IFR...it is still possible for an engine to start in reverse using an electric starter. It has happened to me a number of times. The guess by more experienced folks at the field was that I was removing the starter the instant the motor fired, and if I kept the contact for just a split second longer it would eliminate the problem. No conclusion yet but as I have only been out once since I got this input.

i have ordered the replacement part. i bought a receiever what i believed was SPCM the same as my heli that uses the built int fail safe values in transmission...turns out they gave me PPM and i dont have a failsafe device yet...on order though...do you think the hobby shop made a silly mistake and should i just get a fail safe or reuqest the propper SPCM...what do people think is the better technology?

There is nothing wrong with operating a forty size trainer or forty size anything with a PPM system in fact While I can't speak for the UK but in the US It is very rare for anyone to use a PCM system in a trainer.