Progress is continuing in small steps. The floor has now been completely sprayed with zinc chromate, and I’m reinstalling the old carpet. I cleaned it quite thoroughly using a pressure washer and degreaser, and it turned out surprisingly well. It’s amazing how much brown nicotine was on the carpet too! It’s really everywhere – though still less than in the Caravelle. I guess the French used to smoke even more than the Germans 🙂
I’ve also rewired the engine panel, keeping as much of the original wiring as possible. Now only the copilot’s panel remains – then all panels will be rewired, fitted with proper connectors, and fully documented.
At the moment, I’m once again waiting for replacement parts for the sanding machine. Everything takes around 7-10 days. You need to think well in advance, but when things break down, you have a problem. I’m currently working on all the damaged cockpit panels. Some of them are in horrible shape and need to be repaired with 1mm plastic, fiberglass, and plastic filler… and of course, they’ll need a fresh coat of paint afterward. Wherever possible, I leave everything as is to keep the original patina.
