Cockpit Restoration Update
Things are moving forward every single day.
The fluorescent cockpit lighting is now working, although the original tubes remain unreliable. I’ll keep working on them for now, but if necessary, I’ll eventually convert them to LED while preserving the original brightness and Kelvin temperature.
The eyebrows have finally been restored and reinstalled after extensive grinding, sanding and rebuilding of the damaged edges. The original speed sticker was also preserved.
The trim wheel is now connected to a NEMA 23 motor, with the motor height adjusted to achieve the correct chain tension. Once the proper driver chips arrive, I’ll be able to test the system.
The stick shaker is also connected. Using the original graphs and data, I can reproduce the conditions under which it should activate — so there will definitely be some action in the cockpit!
Another major task is insulating the hangar. It’s a time-consuming job, but essential to keep the cockpit protected and allow restoration work to continue throughout the winter.
Finally, the OO-TED panels donated last year have been reassembled and are now back together for display.
One step at a time — and every day a little closer to bringing this cockpit back to life.
