My .60 model rc aircraft is hard to crank the propellers using an electric start.?

Question

This is the Tiger Trainer 60 RTF plane and I purchased the electric start where you hold it to the propellers and it spins until the engine starts. The electric starter is brand new and the battery its plugged into is new and fully charged also. It often seems that the electric starter does not put out enough torque to spin the propelles, but I can spin it by hand if needed. I checked for a flooded engine by holding it upside and cranking it but that did not solve the problem. The plan runs, but often has a hard time getting the propellers to spin when trying to start.

Answer 1

I know, that's frustrating. Try, with the glow plug removed, to put your finger over the carb and turn the prop till you see fuel coming thru the fuel line to the carb. Then, back the prop up till you feel some resistance and push the starter firmly against the prop nut or spinner and try to turn the engine over. Always when you start a model airplane nitro engine, back the prop up first. What this does is give the starter a little free movement and momentum before the prop gets to the compression stroke. If the engine turns, connect the glow plug and start the engine. Make sure that the throttle is not more that 1/2 open and that the model is firmly secured or held by a second person. Once the engine has started, richen the mixture and run a tank of fuel thru it. On the second tank, lean out the engine just so when you hold the nose of the model up near vertical, the engine, at full throttle, does not sag and try to quit. If it does, richen the mixture a little.

If the engine is flooded, holding it upside down will do nothing. You have to remove the glow plug, then turn the engine over by hand. I caution you, do not turn the engine over by hand with the glow plug installed if it is flooded. You will bend the piston rod! Always remove the glow plug first.

The Super Tiger engines are a great long lasting and powerful engine, but are notorious for being hard to start when new. Once you get the hang of it, its a great work horse.

It is always a good idea, in the interest of safety, to not be alone when flying an R/C model.

I would like to invite you to visit my flickr to see all of my R/C models in the hangar.