Hucks Starter
 

On display in the Imperial War Museum, Duxford

What a thing! It would have wound up the elastic on my old balsa planes with some panache.

To this day a miniature version is still used to start model aero-engines.
(Example shown - Others are available.)

It was a simple, ingenious solution, but was superseded by the trolley acc. or Coffman cartridge starter by WWII in the RAF. However, the Japanese Army Air Force still used the system for some land based radial engined aircraft during that war.