There are a lot of different types of airplane engines and they come in different sizes. But they all pretty much start the same way - you put fuel in it, prime the carbeurator by turning the propellor then you put the glow plug on it and give the propellor a quick turn. From there you can tweak the plane to get it to idle and run smoothly.

I will explain this process in two steps (and two web pages) this first page gives you the basics of fueling up the gas tank on the plane and the second page shows you how it is started.

If this is your first time with an RC airplane this all might sound a bit confusing but I will give you a step by step breakdown of the process. If you prefer, you can watch the video. It shows the basic process.

Starting an RC Airplane - Fueling it up

The first thing you have to think about is the fuel for the plane. Typically it comes in a gallon jug similar to the one shown in the picture at left. The color is a bit odd but that's the right fuel!

You can see that I have modified the top of the fuel jug. I drilled two quarter inch holes and inserted a couple of fittings. This is for the hoses that will fuel up the airplane.

One of the fittings has a fuel line on the inside. This fuel line goes down to the bottom of the container so the pump can draw the fuel out.

To do this setup you will need a few things including a few basic tools.

Shown in the picture is the jug of fuel, a hand crank pump, some fuel line and a little package with the two fuel jug fittings.

You drill a pair of holes in the top of the cap. The fittings I used recommended I drill 1/4 inch holes so this is what I did. Go with whatever your fittings recommend.

Once your fuel jug is set up you just need to disconnect one of the fuel lines from the airplane and connect it to the pump. Then connect the other end of the pump to the fuel jug. Make sure you connect to the jug connector that has the fuel line inside so it can draw fuel. Then you just crank the pump to fuel up the tank of the plane. You should be able to see the fuel tank inside the fuselage.

One note: It might make a difference which hose on the plane that you connect to. Fuel tanks can vary and typically you want to fuel up by the one that does not have a fuel line on the inside.

In this picture you see the fuel tank. The red arrow shows the feed line that feeds the fuel to the carburetor. The black and white line shows the internal fuel line that draws up the fuel. It is better if you fuel up via the hand pump through this line because if you fueled up by the other line the hose inside would pick up the fuel right away and feed it right to the carburetor of the plane! You might not be able to actually fill the tank up.

This does vary from tank to tank though so check with your specific tank.

Let's continue on and actually start this plane up!

Chicken Stick For hand starting of all model airplane engines. Protect fingers from propeller nicks and cuts.

PowerPro HD 12V Starter

Makes starting an airplane real easy.

• Reliable high-power 12V DC motor
• For airplanes, cars, boats or helicopters
• Convenient and easy to operate
• High-torque output starts engines up to 1.8-cubic inches in size
• Mounts easily to PowerPro PortaSource

Start-Up Field Pack

• Sturdy cardboard construction Tote Box
• Includes manual fuel pump
• Two Hangar 9 glow plugs
• 4-way wrench
• Rechargeable glow driver with charger

Evolution Trainer Power System: A

This is the exact engine that I purchased and use in my plane, and in this tutorial. It is available on Amazon.

Getting Started in Radio Control Airplanes

The most comprehensive and up-to-date book answers all of the beginning hobbyist's questions about building and flying remote control airplanes. Step-by-step techniques and are illustrated with a wealth of photography and cover all the basics, from choosing and building a first model to covering and finishing it, understanding and installing glow engines, flight basics, and much more