This afternoon I
purchased a can of tennis balls. I cut
an 'X' in one of the balls and put it over the OAT Probe. I think the tennis ball will offer better
protection for the probe than the blue tape I had criss-crossed over the probe.
Over the last few
weeks I have noticed that the carbon vinyl wrap on the instrument panel has shown
signs of distress. At the fastener
locations, the vinyl seems to have twisted and puckered. It was especially noticeable at the fasteners
securing the switch module. The center
panel seems to be the worst affected. I
had already removed the center section.
I removed the carbon vinyl wrap from the center section. I applied
a new coat of primer on the edges and around all of the fastener holes. I used another piece of the carbon vinyl wrap
to recover the center section. I used
care to be certain the replacement piece of vinyl was in the same orientation
as the old piece. This time, because of
previous experience I was able to get the vinyl to lay down fairly well. I cut out the sections for the radio and the
switch module. Because the strip of
vinyl was not wide enough to cover the whole section of panel, I spliced a
section on the lower portion below the control attachment holes. After adhering the vinyl to the panel and
cutting out the radio and switch module sections I opened the fastener holes. I will wait several days before reinstalling
the center section in the airplane. I
want to allow the adhesive on the back of the vinyl to cure.
