THREE ABORTED ENG STARTS DUE TO ENG INLET COVERS STILL IN PLACE.

Narrative

AS NOTED ABOVE; IT WAS STILL DARK AT AM:30 WHEN I WENT OUT TO THE ACFT TO PREFLT AND DO THE WALKAROUND. ONCE INSIDE THE COCKPIT WHILE DOING THE COCKPIT CHK; I NOTED SOMETHING IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG THAT DID NOT LOOK RIGHT. I CALLED MAINT; AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PAPERWORK WAS IN FACT CORRECT. AT DEP TIME MY FO WAS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT CLOSING THE DOOR. I ATTEMPTED TO START #2; AND THE RPMS STARTED TO HANG BTWN 25 TO 30 PERCENT. THE EGT STARTED CLBING TOWARD 750 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE FEATHER LEVER. A SECOND ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO START #2; AND THE ENG REACTED THE SAME WAY. THE FEATHER LEVER WAS AGAIN IMMEDIATELY PULLED. MY FO ENTERED THE COCKPIT DURING THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO START THE #2 ENG. WE ELECTED TO START #1 ALLOWING #2 TO COOL DOWN. UPON STARTING #1; THE RPM'S HUNG AT ABOUT 30 PERCENT; THE EGT STARTED CLBING ABOVE 700 DEGS; AND THE FEATHER LEVER WAS IMMEDIATELY PULLED. AT THIS TIME I WAS ADVISED BY GND PERSONNEL THAT THE INLET PLUGS FOR BOTH ENGS WERE STILL IN PLACE. I PROCEEDED TO OPS AND NOTIFIED FLT CTL AND MAINT. AN APPROPRIATE ENTRY WAS MADE IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: OTHER COVERS (PITOT TUBE; AIR CYCLE MACHINE) WERE NOT IN PLACE - JUST THE ENG INLET PLUGS. NO STREAMERS ON INLET PLUGS. DARKNESS. DURING ENG STARTS; ENGS ACTED AS IF THERE WAS A GPU PROBLEM.