I can't tell from the picture, but do you know if all that mess sitting on the top of the aluminum roof skin? Or has a section of the roof skin been removed, and the mess is sitting on top of the ceiling, or on top of the foam between the roof panels?
Like others, I can't imagine what sort of situation would necessitate that kind of repair. Perhaps the owner-at-the-time started to install something in that location, got part way through the installation, and decided to stop for one reason or another. But what was he installing? A bigger vent? An antenna? A telescope dome? An anti-aircaft missile launcher?
I may be wrong, but I can't imagine that the situation would require replacement of the entire shell. I tend to agree with you - scrape off all that frosting, and see what the cake underneath looks like. The fact that the ceiling isn't sagging suggests that no structural members were compromised during "the event", whatever it was. There are 12-volt wires for the fan in that area, and maybe for lights - but that shouldn't be a big deal even if you have to replace a section of the wires. So a properly done patch job should get you home.
Bill
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