Albatros Fuselage: Cleaning and Repair

Work is underway to clean and repair the fuselage of the Albatros.

During the course of the last nine decades, a significant amount of grease, dust and general grime has built up inside the fuselage of the Albatros, particularly in the engine bay.

Following removal of the engine previously installed in the aircraft, the interior of the fuselage was cleaned. After the dust, dirt, grease and a layer of shellac applied during a previous restoration was removed, the pale green interior of the engine bay was exposed. Identical pale green paint is also present elsewhere on many of the metal components inside the aircraft, including the control movements and the gun mount tube.

During previous restorations, attempts were made to repair handling damage in a number of areas of the plywood fuselage. Replacement repairs which are less invasive and which give greater support to the original structure are being installed in many areas Deteriorated infill material such as wood putty is being removed, as is the discoloured varnish on much of the outer surface of the fuselage.