I have recently been taking a very close look at the Farman Longhorn as I steadily test my patience while I try to rig it. One thing struck me was the small strips of tape on the struts and booms. What were they for? I notice that most French aircraft of the WW1 period had them, whereas other nation's machines did not. Apart from driving later generations of modellers mad trying to reproduce them, what purpose did they serve? I am sure that they were not ornamentation as the time and cost of putting them on must have been considerable. Does anyone know why they were put on? Can anyone shed any light on this question?