Oil and Canvas/DRI

[wingstrutdotcom]

I was reading the account by Karl Timm regarding the Voss triplane FI 103 in Fokker DR I Aces as to oil spray soaking into the DRI.

Was this a common problem with just 103, all DR, all rotaries? Could this problem also destroy paint, dope, fabric? Castor oil or other later oil make any difference?

Thoughts and discussion would be appreciated.

Interesting question! Can't wait for the replies. In a related topic, I have always heard that one reason WWI pilot's drank so much was the constant diarerra common among those who constantly breathed Castor fumes. Any truth to that????
Charlie

[WarrenD]

Wingstrut,
To my knowledge, the spraying of oil was common to all rotary engines. If memory serves, isn't it a total loss system regarding the oil? In any event, look at these pics from one of the prior Dayton Fly-Ins:

http://www.wwi-models.org/Photos/Ger/Fok_D..._DrI/index.html

Scroll down to the pics entitled "A study in oil leakage". 'Nuff said!, LOL!

Also, I have sen some pics of Nieuports where the fuselage fabric is just nasty from the oil. Reminds me of past time when reenacting friend of mine and I have tried to make correct "oilcloth" from linen and boiled linseed oil.
I hope this helps.

WarrenD

[Craig]

Nothing a coat of gesso wouldn't fix.

[retread]

* *Great photos as linked via WarrenD, as you said they are worth a thousand words. You are also correct about radials using a "total loss" oil system.What goes in goes out via the exhaust valve to adorn cowling, leading edges and pilot.
* Robert Todd, an American pilot training with the RAF in April, 1918 wrote home," The flying is much dirtier here then on the old Curtis machines due to the motor. The motors are all rotary and castor oil is used for lubrication. The oil gets over everything and our clothes are as geasy as my coveralls used to be at Procter & Gamble's." He had worked for Proctor & Gamble as a mechanic prior to the war.Lahk you say- 'nuff said.

[jamo]

Does anyone know approximately what colour the castor oil staining would be? My guess is a dark brown colour.
Cheers
James

[Gregvan]

Hi All,

Just for the sake of completeness, here's exactly what Alex Imrie wrote in his report of his interview with Otto Timm in C & C Vol. 2 #3:

"In going further into the finish of this machine Herr Timm mentioned many times the darkening effect of the castor oil. Germany was very short of this commodity and it may have been that the brand in use for the lubrication of rotary engines was not a pure castor oil. He has vivid memories of having to scrape large amounts of this in a semi-hardened state state off the whole airframe. The oil soaked into the fabric, especially on the forward fuselage, dust and earth stuck to this as well, so that after a short period of use the machine was extremely dirty."

Anyone who has seen the Caudron G.3 at Rhinebeck can attest to how oil-soaked and grimy its fabric became (and still is ??). I also noted considerable oil-spray under the wing of their Morane A.I after flight. I personally was once lucky enough to see Gerry Thornhill's Gnome-engined Sopwith Camel fly in Illinois (before it went overseas, to NZ I think) and helped wipe oil off of the cowling and undercarriage - there was a lot of it !! Its cowling had once been painted white, but , IMHO, it eventually became a light cream due to the oil soakings it had received.

As for the laxative effect of castor oil fumes and spray on pilots, that's been dealt with before on this forum, and most (as I recall) seem to feel it has been greatly exaggerated. Some feel the laxative effects some pilots experienced were more the result of nervous tension during patrols, rather than the oil - seems logical to me.

Greg VanWyngarden

[wingstrutdotcom]

Many thanks GV. The information sheads light on the actual condition of these planes in service. Too bad there is not more in the way of detailed maintence records of many of the planes from WW1.
I might have to "dirty" up a few profiles.

[Hans]

It seems that in the earlier days this problem was even more heavier. This Pfalz of FAA9b is heavily stained. And the pilot wore an additional long scarf only to clean his goggles.
Maybe the grade of staining had something to do with the type of engine, as this heavy staining in coming from unburned castor oil and not from the fumes of burned oil.

Hans

[wingstrutdotcom]

Great photo. Photos of camo finishes are certainly more difficult to pick up this sort of wear.