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How about simply using the spinner to give the prop a quick back flip causing it to backfire, reverse direction, and start. I'm curious how common that is.

No fingers in the prop disc and no chicken stick. After a bit of practice I've found it easier than using a chicken stick and/or an electric starter. The trick is to slightly over prime the engine.

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Jim,
I've heard about that trick, but I've only seen one guy who could make it work. If it works for you, go for it. I do think your fingers are a tad close to the prop, so I won't be trying it, but that's just me.

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I don't find my fingers are at risk. In some respects, I find it safer than the chicken stick and an electric starter because with the stick/starter you have to hold plane while flipping so that the force of turning the engine over doesn't move the plane at the same time. That means having one hand behind the engine holding the fuse, while the other flips the prop. With the spinner flip, you're completely in front of the plane (plane is restrained at rear). I suppose someone else holding the plane would resolve that.

The one risk I have noticed is that you might think it hasn't started and reach back to do it again, then it fires up full boar. So, I just always pull my hand and back and pause, whether I think it started or didn't. This is because it seems to hesistate a bit due to the overprime required to get it to work.

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And if you've ever tried to finger start an endine with a brand new APC prop that the owner didn't sand the trailing edge down . . . Ginsued piddies.

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Actually, that is when I do use my chick stick - to prime the engine when the prop is APC :) Then I stick in my back pocket and back flip the spinner.

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I've never had any luck backflipping a spinner. In fact I tried it last week with my Saito 100. No go. I just use an electric starter.

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Your comment about having to reach over the prop to hold while using an electric starter is a good one. Funny thing is, I usually feel safer doing it that way myself than having someone else holding. Though I like someone holding after it's started so I can get up and move around behind to get the needle valve. (I never ever needle from the front, even RNV and 4-strokes) Most of my planes don't have wheels, so I have a starting stand that helps too.

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Chicken sticks, electric starters, fingers, or shoes . . . finding the safest way to start an engine is academic if you forget to tighten the prop nut; no matter how you start the engine, the prop is still going to get you if you are standing in front of it! Trust me, I have a ripped shirt to prove it.

And in case you are wondering, the only time my fingers touch the prop is when the glow plug has been removed and I'm putting in some after-run oil.

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Ditto on the garden hose (rubber, not vinyl)

You can buy it by the foot at home depot; either black garden hose (which marks the prop) or red "air hose" with 1/2 " ID, insert a dowel and cut to size.

They end up costing about $1-$3 and you can make a bunch for flying buddies at the same time. Have them buy the donuts :)

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I have seen in MAN that you can use the end of a golf club by cutting it off below the grip if you want to use the chicken stick method. However, I have scars around my index finger of my right hand from 19 stitches after I tangled with a prop. Elctric Starter with battery and no wires is what I use. I will give up my starter when someone else starts my engines.

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I must be realy stupid.. and I have no cuts on my finger ( yet ) and have no chicken stick.

My trusted motors all start with a back flip from the spinner. I also have a bad habbit, that if a motor starts the worng way , overprive a new , unknown motor and it backfires and keep running, I will put my thumb on the prop nut or thumb and index finger on the spinner at a low idle to reverse the stroke

and look ma all fingers and no cuts,

I also shaw some one with a heli that cut the power walk to the blades to put his hand on the top of the blades to stop it from turning and the tip of the blade wacked open his knee

but please dont do what. it might be just me

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LOL. You'll get it sooner or later. Probably when you least expect it. ;)

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Back flip from spinner works well, especially if you are swinging a larger prop that will give more inertia to bring up the compression. The engine needs to be pretty wet for it to work though.

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Hand flipping reduces the cost and weight of your flight-line equipment. All you need is fuel, pump (manual), Ni-Starter and your choice of hand-flipping (glove, chicken stick, garden hose, shoe...).

For all you back-flippers - don't bother trying that with a gasoline powered engine... I doubt it'll work, especially with a magneto ignition.

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Being from the 'Old School'....I have to catch myself because I'll hand start about all my engines if I'm not firmly reminded to use my 'Chicken Stick' (Large one from Davis Diesel'.

of course if my Moki 1.8 doesn't start in two or three flips, I send it back for repairs :-)

and yes, sometimes an engine will backfire - and some engines (my Magnum .91XL) CANNOT be started with your finger - at least all the marks on my chicken stick indicate!

Ya gotta know your engine......a starter (electric) is still the safest - an it only costs 1/2 the ER charges for Stitches!!!

Jerry

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In my very limited experience, the only time anything dangerous has happened was *when* I used an electric starter. The engine was being stubborn (middle of winter), so I held a starter on it for longer than really should have been necessary (a few times in a row). It spun the spinner nut off and the prop followed. It was tight, I checked that to begin with. The engine didn't start, but the prop still went flying through the air. Since then, I always prefer hand starting because I can feel what is going on with the engine. I've developed the opinion that if doesn't start within a few flips (or back flips), then something is not right and going at it with a starter won't fix it. Of course, with more experience my opinion might change....

Reach around and over the prop is what bothers me more.... like reaching around to remove the glow ignitor.

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I was alway concerned that I could get my 46FX on my XTC to hydraulically lock, due to the motor being pointing down so that the silencer clear the bottm of the fuse, with an electric starter

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And this really is what hand starting is all about. But it's an art that really needs to be taught rather than learned the hard way.

When my son decided to take up model aircraft I flat refused to allow him to use an electric starter until he'd learned to hand start. However he was quite safe because he had a fantastic instructor (me :D ). I taught him the difference in feel between a dry engine and one that was wet. I taught him how to prime and how to spread the prime through the engine. I taught him how to flick hard and fast and how to follow through. Only when he could do all this to my satisfaction did I let him hook up the glow plug. After his first couple of starts by hand (almost all with one flick) I told him he could now use an electric starter if he wished. He never did because he had no need for one, his choice. But he taught himself a lesson a little later. He did a one flick start on his Enya 80X as usual and discovered they'll start just as easily at full throttle as they do at idle! But the follow through I'd taught him kept him out of harm's way.

The point of this is that this is a Beginner's forum and a beginner needs an instructor for more than just being taught how to fly. Although our club has an excellent training program there's no emphasis at all on teaching the fundamentals of engine management. How many of you see an instructor start up the new guy's engine, tune it then say "OK, now I'll teach you how to fly"? If there's no one prepared to show you the basics then by all means play it safe and use electric or chicken stick.