Ric,
Would/could Wichita Air Services be interested in shooting a video that would show how the patch was fabricated and fitted to the L10E?
What I have in mind would be a mockup of AE bird, using old skins taken of the bird their working on.
Cut a window hole and put in the plastic window – as it would have arrived in Miami
Remove the window frame (if you all think that is what happened) or fit and back drill for the installation of the patch over the frame and window, etc.
Fit a patch over the window opening – include the stringers, ribs, etc. in order to explain the rivet rows, the stress from the rib, etc.
Then as a final shot (no pun intended) use a tool that we have an idea was aboard AE’s plane e.g. the fire ax and rip the window out of the mockup. This should show the saw tooth rivet failure, the zip line rivet failure and perhaps the blow marks that penetrate the skin of the patch.
All of this could be a visual depiction of the patch and its removal hypothesis along with a verbal dialog explaining each step of the process.
If not Wichita Air, we could stage the thing in your barn.
Ted Campbell