Let’s not speculate, and remain optimistic just yet, …..if Chris doesn’t mind, hopefully he can tell us if his model is backdrivable, and if he can see evidence of the forward facing motor …….that will give us some clues….
@Andrew B. weathering could be an option, but also, if you love the model, the paint can be addressed without weathering,….with the right mix of black & dark green, these can be done correctly with minimal invasive measures,….
Pat