Beauty that’s skin deep New paint makes all the difference BY THOMAS A. HORNE T his year’s AOPA Crossover Classic sweepstakes airplane began its renovation process just eight short months ago. Now, as the once-bedraggled 1974 Cessna 182P enters the final stages of its transformation, there’s a rush to the end. Air Mod has completed its excellent interior upgrade work, and now the work shifts to the airplane’s new paint job. The paint job may be last of the massive work packages, but perceptually it’s perhaps the most important. Why? First impressions carry great emotional weight, and the original paint job was most definitely a sight best seen from afar. You’ve no doubt heard of cars or airplanes being called “20-footers” or “50-footers” (references Plus— See the video installation. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL LOBIONDO AOPA PILOT • 95 • JUNE 2011