SilverWook-

That's at odds with the only write-up I have in front of me. I certainly don't claim to know what really happened, but allow me to quote from the book.

Again, this is from day 91 of Creating the Worlds of Star Wars - 365 Days, by John Knoll

This scene was the only one in Return of the Jedi requiring a Millennium Falcon exterior. The size of the Falcon set built for The Empire Strikes Back meant that it was too large to save, therefore it was rebuilt on Stage 2. However, because the sandstorm would greatly limit visibility, only half of the Falcon was reconstructed.