Hey Charley, I ended up getting a new fuselage which was a bit expensive but I figured the whole amphibian experience was worth it. I peeled off the decals and reapplied them to the new fuselage with 3M 77 spray adhesive. To prevent chopping into the fuselage again I made a temporary strut between the motor and body with a popsicle stick. It prevents excessive flexing of the engine pylon if I land too hard. Keeping up the airspeed during landing is my biggest challenge but I'm doing much better. It's a big switch from my high wing trainer that will glide forever with the throttle chopped.