Original fabric from AEG GIV 574/18

[Dave in Dubai]

I present the original fabric from AEG GIV, for your reference and interest.
Any builders of the Wingnut Wings kit will be aware of the two photographs of the fabric on page9 and page 28 of the instruction booklet. As the photographs are a little ambiguous, Mr Alex Comber recently visited the warehouse where the original fabric is stored, in Ottawa and took these photographs with the kind permission and assistance of the staff there. These photographs are presented with Alex's permission and I recommend his website  for further information on the AEG ,the Brome County Fokker DVII and the Junkers J1.









Some more to follow...

[Dave in Dubai]

Alex's website can be visited at http://alexcomber.com

[Dave in Dubai]

Some more photographs of the fabric, it should be fairly evident which is the outside and which is the inside surface?











I hope that these pictures are of some interest to anyone with an interest in this particular aircraft?

The fabric from the complete aircraft is currently in storage and obviously is going to be of a large quantity, coming from such a sizeable aircraft as 574/18.

Unfortunately it has not been possible thus far to examine the fuselage fabric or the rudder which would confirm whether the rudder appeared in white or in lozenge and the colour of the fuselage serials. The sample shown is thought to be from an upper surface, probably the top wing.
It is hoped that at a future time it will be possible that a complete photographic record of the fabric can be made, comparing the upper and lower fabric surfaces to confirm whether they are the same or different, and to preserve the information before any deterioration of the fabric occurs as it will be quite fragile to handle.

If this information should become available, I will post the information as an addendum here.

My sincere thanks to Mr Alex Comber and the museum staff of the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa, Canada, for their assistance and for allowing me to share this information here.

Best wishes,

Dave

[Dave in Dubai]

The "Indiana Jones " moment- ( pure speculation on my part) where the rest of the fabric may be?....

 

[uncletony]

Most interesting indeed.... Thanks Dave

[uncletony]

Great stuff! I think these photos definitively confirm the existence of specifically printed 'night lozenge'.

That's funny -- I was thinking the opposite! To me it looks like regular five color with black dope bleeding thru. But what the hell do I know?

[Pgtaylorart]

Great stuff! I think these photos definitively confirm the existence of specifically printed 'night lozenge'.

That's funny -- I was thinking the opposite! To me it looks like regular five color with black dope bleeding thru. But what the hell do I know?

I'm with you, Bo. It looks like the seams with the parallel lines of stitching and grommets didn't get the dope bleeding through so they retain their original bright colors, proving that the black dope was added later. But what the hell do I know?

But it is possible that the bright fabric strip was sewn on after the dark fabric was colored, thus proving nothing...

George

[Des]

Many thanks Dave for going to the effort to obtain these excellent images, they will give us something to think about.

Des.

[lcarroll]

   I can see both theory's having feasibility, what bothers me is the very pronounced difference between the inner fabric and the corresponding portions of stitchings and grommets. I am really hoping our group gets a look at this stuff next month, but that may be too much to ask. The main inside portions look like a coating of black or blue tinted dope has bled through......
Cheers,
Lance

[lcarroll]

No doubt in my mind!!!!!
Cheers,
Lance

[Nigel Jackson]

Thanks Dave (and, of course, Alex) for these images. Fascinating stuff, as is the ensuing discussion.

Best wishes
Nigel

[Gisbod]

Great stuff Dave!

I find it very hard to interpret the fading and ageing of a 100 year old piece of fabric.

Seeing the fabric today - you'd think it would clear up any issues. But it just seems to provoke further debate!

Guy

[stefanbuss]

Thank you very much for posting the photos - most helpful.

Stefan

[Dave in Dubai]

A couple of observations can immediately be made from this original fabric-

Regardless of the type of fabric used, lower/upper or specific night lozenge, the colours of the lozenges are apparent as mauve, grey-blue, olive, dark olive, black or very dark green.

The true nature of the fabric would probably have to be subject to a chemical forensic spectral analysis to determine what colour the original dyes were and what the overlying dopes/varnishes were.

[uncletony]

I can see this is going to be an excellent can 'o worms 

One thing that would be interesting would be to match up the backside colors of the night lozenge to the corresponding segments of day five color and see if they make any sense in terms of a darkened version of the same color, perhaps by bleed thru. (I've been too lazy to do this myself). IIRC the five color upper and lowers are identical patterns but the colors are "mixed up" , relatively speaking...

If the tones do not correspond, this would prove that the night lozenge is specially printed.

(I'm sure someone has already done this... like Richard I suppose)