This is a case where the engine should have been preheated before starting so the piston would slide up and down in the sleeve. The smoke probably came from the motor(s) in your starter box. They don't handle high current very well when they are stalled by the nitro engine. I use either a heat gun or a hair dryer to heat the engine before starting when I am beginning the break-in process. That also eliminates some damage to the piston/sleeve assembly when they would be the tightest at TDC. There are also some engine heaters available that fit on the cooling fins of the head of the engine. They are battery powered and put heat in the engine the same as a tire warmer.

You must make sure the engine is not stuck at TDC when using the starter box to start the engine. And sometimes tools are required to move the flywheel over to an unstuck position so that it will rotate when the starter box engages.