Different ways to start a glow engine
 

Besides a glow starter like the picture below and an onboard ignitor is there any other way to start a glow engine on a plane?

If you hand start your engine then a glow stick that you show above is good. I like the short ones as they are less likely to fall off.

If you use a 12 volt starter a 'powerpanel' like this http://www.hobbytown.com/Shop/Hobbic...ower-Panel-II/ mounted in a flight box provides a 1.5 volt supply and you can see that the glowplug is drawing power on the meter.

Sport flying I might use a glow stick as I almost always hand start my engines. For competition use I would always use a 12 volt starter and flight box with a powerpanel.

If I understand the way the question is worded the answer is NO....,,,,,,,well sort of.
In order to start combustion you need heat. The glowing "glow" plug provides that heat to start combustion. In order for a cold plug to glow it needs voltage applied to it either from a glow start stick or a power panel as ,mentioned.
When a glow engine is very hot it can start without powering-up the glow plug. I and others have had that happen however all the conditions need to be right for it to happen.

1.5 volt battery and two attached wires with alligator clips on the end?? Not sure about the question, a heat/voltage source is needed to ignite the glow plug so any way you can get 1.5 volts to the plug with a ground will work.

Something like this http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXUC32&P=7
or this http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXUC31&P=7
works too.

Those are modern glow drivers Steve is showing. Back in the really olden days we had a dry cell battery that was 1.5 volts and we just attached two wires to the top of the battery and had two alligator clips. One went to the glow plug and one went to anyplace on the engine you could attach to for the ground. The new glow sticks really make it easier.

Brian, too cool. I think it was RAYOVAC that had a cat jumping through a circle too?? Those were the days we bought kits from the local hardware store. Nice trip down memory lane.

Control line racing we used to have a glove with a piece of copper attached to the thumb and the middle finger and a set of batteries on the wrist with the terminals soldered to each. Quickly squeeze a bulb full of fuel in the engine grab the engine with the glove, thumb on the glo plug, finger on the bottom of the crankcase and flip to start and away we go.

Dennis

I used those back in '73 when I first started in RC.. Went through quite a few !
There was a place that repos the batteries but it looks like he only sells the labels,tops, etc.. now:
http://www.radiolaguy.com/info/Vintage_Batteries.htm

Never experienced it but I have heard of primed engines starting by themselves, Mainly 4 Stoke glow but also Cox engines.

"Starting by themselves", ???, I only have engines that "stop" by themselves!!!:mad:

I thought this was just an urban legend, my advanced instructor warned me about it. I had just flown, landed and refueled, I had a 13 year old student I was telling this to and I gave the prop on one of my YS engines a flip just to build tank pressure and it fired up without any heat on the plug.
That pair of pants was a throw away!!!
Only time I had seen it happen but I now know it isn't just a legend.:o

I have read of at least 3 first hand accounts like yours.

RCATS and Radio south have high tech glow drivers.

Radio Shack 5 amp D-cell. Lasts a long time.

Everyone please note that the OP has not been back. Can you say "troll".

I don't know if I would call the OP a troll but I do think it's kind of poor taste to ask a question and not respond to the answers unless something
happened that is keeping them offline. I do see this behavior from time to time in all the forums where someone will ask a question and never
respond again.

I use a bid NiCd "D" cell with a clip soldered onto it. I also solder a servo lead onto it, making it easy to charge with my quick field charger. So far, it has been the best glow driver I have ever owned in 30+ years. Easy, simple, reliable. Otherwise, I just use my hand to start. Something I leaned to do properly, flying CL combat.

Vertical Grimmace,

Sounds similar to my background. I flew a Nemesis with a G21-35.

I suppose I may be a little more new school than that, as I flew mainly home brew foamies in the 90's, with chocked down Fox .36's

Yeah, my time in Combat was in the late 60's and early 70's. College, then off to R/C and Pylon Racing.

So many of these threads receive a lot of attention with good answers/info only to hear crickets from the OP. Oh well, that's the way a lot of people roll. Hopefully they got their question(s) answered !

Simple courtesy calls for a reply or a thank you.

Amazing what events such as those will do for your engine skills. I race as well.