DHC1 Chipmunk--Electric Starters?

[ed langley]

Do Chipmunks have the provision for electric starters using the planes own battery?
I have an old operators manual showing either hand starting, coffman starting or with an external battery all of which require two people to be done safely. Also do all Gipsy engines have the provision to be fitted with a starter?

[JimCrawford]

I was a member of a flying group operating a Chipmunk quite some years ago and it most certainly had an electric starter which was run from the battery situated behind the cockpit. The battery was, however, somewhat 'weak' and mainly served to keep the weight and balance within limits. So we resorted to hand swinging quite often.
I believe that the starter motor fitted in the same place as the old Koffman cartridge starter which I am familiar with from University Air Squadron days. It must be next to impossible to get the cartridges nowadays but they did give a most impressive bang and cloud of smoke!

Jim