This week's work on the cockpit involved more cleaning and prep and a quick peek at the state of the flight controls.
After spending some time reading through the APs (Very grateful to Dick Barton and Scott B for providing copies of some of the invaluable docs I need for this project!) I investigated what was left of the control runs for Elevator, Aileron and Rudder control as I start planning installation of the required motors for the custom VPForce control system I have in mind for the project. The elevator control is locked solid (probably corroded?) as are the rudder pedals, however I did locate what I'm sure is the rudder control tube which seems to move as expected from under the pedals (though not currently connected) back to the rear of the cockpit section (running through the 'transmission tunnel' style housing between the seats. The elevator run also seems to be present but I haven't located the aileron control rod so more investigation and some careful disassembly will be required. Following the old engineering adage of 'if it doesn't move but it should - spray it!' I applied a liberal amount of penetrating oil spray on every exposed section and I did mange to get some of the canopy locking mechanism moving - it's incomplete and we're a long way from worrying about reinstalling the canopy but it felt like a small victory!
I spent the rest of my free time this week on my hands and knees in full PPE brushing and scrubbing at the interior of the cockpit to expose any corrosion and remove any loose paint and fixtures and fittings. It's a tough job and it can be disheartening - I have to remind myself that it's got to look worse before it looks better but hopefully the attached photos give some indication of the progress. There is still a lot of prep work to do but it won't be too long before I am ready to paint the first bits of the interior.
While I was there this week I also took my Dremel to several protruding wires and lines on the back of the cockpit section to tidy up and provide better (safer!) access for further cleaning - a small thing but another improvement. I also got some advice on some of the metal work that needs attention - I see some tin bashing in my future!