What was the fabric used?

I just read a book titled "Canvas Falcons", about WWI planes and pilots. For the last forty years, I had thought the fabric used on WWI planes was linen. I'd like to learn more.

[PeterL]

"For the last forty years, I had thought the fabric used on WWI planes was linen."

And for forty years you have been correct. What's more it was generally linen of the finest quality.

I came late to Longstreet and found him a very difficult read. It starts with the title and gets worse IMO. It's the kind of work that drives people to make disparaging remarks in pencil in the margins. Not to be regarded as a serious work.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

CarlGurt:
The term canvas has been grossly misused relative to early aircraft and WW1 aircraft as well. As soon as I see that used, I say to myself, here is a guy that does not know what he is talking about, the canvas is generally followed with "wood, baling wire and chewing gum!" The term "canvas" is applied to fabrics in excess of 8 ounces per square yard. (cotton or linen.)
The early aircraft were covered with light linen "balloon cloth" around 2 ounces per square yard and was coated with a rubberized compound to seal the fabric, this was before to introduction of cellouse or nitrate dopes. In WW1 both sides, used linen fabric that weighed around 3.5 to 4.5 ounces per square yard. Cellouse and nitrate dopes were in critical short supply by both sides, therefore it was used sparingly. The general application was 3 or 4 brush in coats to shrink the fabric taut on the frame. Following the first coat, the rib tapes would be doped on. Following each coat of dope the surface would be sanded to prepare the surface for the next coat. The camouflage color was most often a single coat of colored dope or oil based paint, rarely two. The name was WEIGHT! Weight, is loss of performance.
I hope this of help.
A Very Merry Christmas Day to you and yours,
Dan-San

[Volker_Nemsch]

Hello CarlGurt!

As Dan San and Peter already said you are right. But there were some exceptions:

The recon aircraft aboard the German cruiser/raider "Wolf" (a Friedrichshafen 2-seater seaplane) was damaged during a rough landing on the Pacific ocean and most of the original fabric was destroyed. Fortunately the crew had a lot of SILK from a captured ship and so the aircraft "flew on silk wings" after the necessary repairs (the silk was doped with the chemicals Dan San mentioned). I don´t know what happened to this "expensive" aircraft after the return of the "Wolf" to Germany in 1918.

Somewhere I read that one or two Fokker Dr.1 were tested with (industrial?) silk instead of the normal linen. But most probably others know more about this ...

Hope this helps!

[chip55]

Hello

When I was a kid me pops had a Stinson Gull wing. I remember him referring to the covering as Irish Linen.

Be well and Merry Christmas to all

chip55

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Chip55:
You are correct! Irish linen was the best available, and it was the linen of choice also by British aircraft constructors in WW1.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Dan-San

They tryed hemp cloth,but the planes
just kept getting higher and higher
in the air,and pilots had trouble
landing,because the planes didn't
want to come down

They tryed hemp cloth,but the planes
just kept getting higher and higher
in the air,and pilots had trouble
landing,because the planes didn't
want to come down

***GROAN***

As I understand it[or if you prefer-get out clause!!] Irish linen was the fabric of choice because of its quality and ,if I read a recent article about a company that recovers fabric airplanes and various bits thereof,still is.But I am damned if I can remember where I saw the blasted Article!! >

I really appreciate the information so quickly supplied by - clearly - some very knowledgeable people. As I've been looking around "The Aerodrome" I've been astounded by the breath and depth of the knowledge displayed.