This is the OP's statement that suggest it is the reed blocks. Yes, it initially ran, but being it cut off in flight and being that may have happened from overheating just adds to the idea the reeds need help. The reeds are a glass product which will distort ever so slightly with heat thus reinforcing my thoughts and suggestions. And one can not tell just by a visual look if there is a minute amount of opening.
Of course these are just my opinions and one can do as one wishes with them.

I guess I'm on a bit of a soap box here but IMO and this is not just for the OP is that if you have an engine that is not operating normally and especially one that is being difficult to start you really should stop trying, take some time to think about possible causes and then set about checking those possible causes. I think the worst thing you can do is continue to work with an engine this size that is being somewhat unpredictable. Yes there are dangeres inherit to what we do but why create more? If an engine is not going to start on the 10th flip, it's not going to start of the 50th either. Starting one of these at full throttle is just insane.

Now at this point I think the OP has enough info that he can go forward in a safe manner and fix his engine. He has been getting good info on another site as well

Ditto!!!

The best way to solve the problem is to remove the DLE get a rope Tie it to your Boat and use it for an anchor Spend a few dollars more and buy a DA I went that same route with motors and were always working on them or sending thjem back. Wised up bought a DA-100 put it on my Cap-580 never touched anything 4yrs. later 3rd flip and it is off to the races.
For a few dollars more an excellent and reliable motor pulling your airplane with no problem.

My bet is that 99% of somewhat experienced DLE users have the same experience you had with your DA!

There are people who have problems with any brand of engine and they seem to represent a large portion of those who participate in forums.

Then there are DA fan boys .....

Try this first, pump out the gas that is in the tank if you can't pump the gas out your fuel pick up came off and thats why it stop running after 5 min. The gas is now below brass tubing going into the tank. This happened to my Comp arf 300sx with DA100L. cheek for correct size fuel line for the pick up in the tank. Hope this helps.

Dan S

I can say the same thing about my four RCGF's, three DLE's, and two CRRC's.

For the most part I'm going to agree with Ace. There has only been one engine I have ever owned either gas or glow that I was not able to get to run to my satisfaction. IMO guys that have issues with one engine tends to have issues will most engines they run. I do have to admit that one engine I finally gave up on? DLE 55. It would start great, had great power, nice transition, the problem? It shook like crazy. Tried different timing settings, different grades gas, needle settings. I finally got it livable by externally balancing with the spinner back plate. Still in the end it was just unacceptable and it was booted. My gasser now? Most do not even know about it's existence. EVO 150, not to be confused with Evolution/MVVS.

So where did you get your Evo? And I guess by your post it runs better than Dads experience of last year.
I had a club member that had the same experience with a DLE 55, turns out after closer inspection quality control missed that the crank had not been balanced. Bought a new crank and vroom vroom.

Ace, I found it in the classifieds on another site. The price was right to take a chance. It had been converted to CH ignition but set to zero degrees. The guy I got it from said it was basically new ran a couple tanks with original ignition before it failed, could not get it to run at all with the CH. I rebuilt the carb and set the timing to 28 degrees and she fired right up. I just got home from flying an hour ago and she was spinning a Bolly CF 30x12 at 6,400. A bit too high for my taste so I have a Mej 32x10 to try next. Overall I am very happy with the engine. The smile says it all.

Yep. You look real happy there. Nice to hear ya got it running like one should.

I have had several hard to start engines. After I went through all of the normal things to do with a hard to start engine, I dropped some solder on the choke butterfly hole. Seemed to work well since they all started fine after that. Seems that that little hole lets to much air to bypass and loose its prime or suction once that fuel is in the carb. I would also check all the plumbing of the tank and make sure the vent line is not obstructed. Some folks put a filter on the vent tube to keep junk from getting sucked into the tank.

Hope this helps.

Sounds like an ignition problem to me.Either the pickup, the box or both.. Find someone at your field with a RcXl twin box and swap it out to see... Easy to flood the plug on an inverted single but a twin generally does not really "Wet" the plugs..

Rick

Never had a two-stroke yet that if it had spark did not fire when dripping a couple drops of fuel in the spark plug hole. May have to do it a couple times. Do not overdo it and it will fire. Once firing, they usually suck up fuel thru the carb and then its good to go for the season. If not, then the carb screen or filter is plugged enough to prevent it from running. Yep, fuel can be drippin' from the carb but not getting up into the cylinder.

Once, I even have had clear debris sitting on the carb's screen and it looked clean. But, the screen was not clean until it was removed and I blew air thru it. Looked like something came from inside the fuel line or carb itself. Maybe old fuel or manufacturing foreign material. Got nearly 50 years experience froggin' around with 2-strokes. When they don't run/start right, start with cleaning the carb and you may even have to do it a couple times.

Should have a filter right before the carb inlet. If you don't the carb is the filter.

Also I had a brand new Dubro large scale gas filler valve's O-ring fail. If you plumb it as the valve instructions suggests, when the O-ring fails, the engine sucks air thru the valve and the o-ring particles wind up downstream. I have since gone to three line systems just using the valves for filling with the downstream line plugged. Have had an O-ring failure at least once a year. Eventually converting all these over to fuel dots.

Had a 2-stroke last week that would not start nor adjust correctly. The owner was using 92 octane gas and had the wrong oil mixture. Once the fuel was replaced, the engine started right up and dialed right in. I always use 87 octane gas. It has more BTUs resulting in more power and it is what the engine design calls for. Most of the additives in 92, do not burn.

For a quick test of tank and plumbing, one can use an overflow tank plumbed directly to the carb. Also, drops of the fuel in the spark plug hole will prove whether or not you have enough spark.

Had a similar problem, engine started new out of box and ran great. Got 2 minutes into maiden flight and it quit dead at 75% throttle flying straight and level. No amount of work could get it to restart on the ground. Checked for spark and found it had none. Tried different plug and ignition, still no spark. Spent a lot of time futzing with batteries, switches, and VR, no luck. Finally just happened to notice that the magnet for the Hall sensor was gone! Never occurred to me to check for that. The engine apparently spat the magnet out and that was all she wrote. I know OP says he has spark, so it can't be this, but point is, sometimes it's something so basic you don't even think to check for it.

Speaking of OP, I wonder if he figured anything out?

Here is my insane way for checking for spark.
I remove the plug, stick a screwdriver in th the speark plug lead connector, grab the screwdriver and press my hand to the cylinder head and flip the prop. If my fingers curl up I know I have a spark.
If you try this make sure no other part of your body touches the engine or the ignition circuit.

LOL being that it's an RCEXL unit I simply listen for the pop that occurs when the spark jumps from the center conductor to the plug cap. No finger curling required.

That's funny as hell.
A fella that I did some mechanickin with many moons ago thought it would be cool to do something similar to an accel, might have been a Mallory, ignition the first time he saw one. He now has a hole through his thumb.

Always have a plug in the cap when looking for spark. CDI's need to see the load and have been known to self-destruct when they don't.

That is caused by poor insulation in the unit.
The old C&H units I had would make a spark all the way from the electrode to the cap if the spark plug was out. At least 1/2 inch. The insulation in those units was so good thye spark simply had no other place to go.

BTW I should add not to do the finger test if you have a carbon fiber prop.. You dont want that charge to go near your heart

What type exhaust do you have and is it restricted.

I thought it was because ignitions like RcExcel has resistors in the cap.

With the spark plug out that resistor is not connected to anything.Its resistance is very small compared to the impedance of the spark.

Ok guys, today I tried it again. Nothing
Removed and cleaned the carb, nothing
changed ignition, nothing
changed pickup, nothing
hooked a hot battery straight to the ign, ran for 6 minutes and died
flipped till it backfired and prop bit me, rest of the day has been spent in the ER
Did a lot of good to save a little money and get a Dle instead of a da like I normally do