Today’s focus has been paint stripping of the centre fuselage, starting at the rear window frame.  The 40 degree temperatures at Bankstown Airport have made the process quick and easy with the paint cooking off within minutes of the stripper being applied.

With the bulk of the paintwork removed, the team set about de-riveting the lower left and right hand strut cheek plates, enabling the underlying structure to be thoroughly inspected and cleaned up.  These will be re-installed in the coming weeks.