I found out pretty quick that giving it a gentle flip backwards was the best way to start it. Unfortunately, since the plugs are hot all the time, you never really know whether it's going to kick forward or backwards. I've been using a chicken stick to save the knuckles, but last weekend at the field, the motor kicked backwards and destroyed a $60 prop when the trailing edge of the other blade hit the chicken stick. So, for just a little more than a new prop, I found a used starter. These things are $300 new, but worth every dime in saved props.

The worst part of the damage is just at the front edge of the rudder, I think the weeds grabbed one side of the horizontal stab, and yanked the plane around. All the stringers on one side are crushed, the other side is likely broken too. Luckily (or un-luckily), this is where all the stringers start to run together. so once I get it lined back up, it shouldn't be too hard to work some new balsa into it. Hopefully the formers are in decent shape.