Greg, I think that stitching will add a lot, and will look good under some paint. My old Smer Nie. 11could benefit from that technique.
Chuck, those loose tubes are the intake manifold, and on many rotaries I have seen they are a brass color. The exhaust valves on all rotaries just vent right out of each cylinder head at the exhaust manifold, which is how the castor oil traveled out as well. Monosoupape type rotaries had the intake valves inside the pistons, and no intake manifolds. The color of the cylinders looks just right, that dark steel. I am really impressed with how fine the steel is on the rotary cylinders from that time. I hope my propeller looks as good as yours if I should ever get that far.
And yes, it was a fine video this week. Just before the end I was nearly in tears, and the rendition of the theme song from the Magnificent Seven at the finishing credits seemed entirely appropriate, if hardly recognizable.