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.
It’s been a while since my last update, but the project is continuing to move forward—slowly, but steadily.
Both control columns have now been reinstalled. Before doing so, I removed the complete control column support assemblies, cleaned them thoroughly, lubricated all moving parts, and installed new control cables.
All pilot instrument panels are finally back in place, and the project is once again looking like a real cockpit.
One of the biggest tasks was replacing a severely corroded aluminum panel. A custom-made replacement from Germany required extensive fitting due to its complex shape, but the result is a
The project continues to move ahead steadily. The copilot’s panel is now fully wired and labeled, and the engine panel has also been reinstalled.
At this point, nearly all instruments have been converted and are ready for operation, with the exception of the fuel used indicator and the standby attitude
At the moment I’m very busy getting the 115V/400Hz power into the cockpit. Over time, I had collected
Yesterday I finally moved the cockpit of D-ABOD into its new hangar. The previous open shelter was more than suboptimal. The new space will be insulated and kept at a constant temperature — which is incredibly important. I’ve been dealing with serious moisture issues on the Caravelle because, due
Progress continues, albeit a bit slower at the moment. The last panel (FO) has been completely rewired and is ready for installation. UP11, the upper flight engineer panel, is also now complete, with all instruments, switches, and lights fully operational. I had already modified the instruments back in 2018,
Today marks a small but meaningful milestone in this project:
The exterior restoration is complete.
I had the chance to step in front of the camera with my wife, wearing my mother’s original uniform—a quiet tribute, a full-circle moment.
Fifty years ago, my parents stood
