ORIGINAL 5 Color Lozenge Fabric Question

[gipsymoth236k]

Are these original 5 color lozenge fabrics from a Fokker D.VII?

Dan-San?

-Gary Sewall

[StephenLawson]

Gary, on the first one (at left ) what is the distance between the tapes? Image at right appears yellow can that be cleared up? What is the thread count per square inch?

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Gary:
I just got back from Pheonix, I was there consolling my Daughter, Sandi, her Husband passed away from cancer. she has had a real tough time.
A couple of questions:
1. What is the arm length and width of horizontal arm of the 4:5 cross?
2. What is the spacing of the rib tapes?
3. What is the width of the rib tapes?
4. They appear to be cut strips of the five color fabric, are they?
5. From the center of the horizontal arm, what is the half length of the vertical arm?
6. Can you give me a thread count? E-mail a close-up of the fabric with a readable scale, or mark a 1 inch square.
7. The cross length and width of the 1:1 cross.
8. It appears to be 5 color lower fabric, is it?
I'll be waiting for your reply.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[gipsymoth236k]

Stephen and Dan-San,

Dan-San, sorry to hear about your family member's passing...

Unfortunately I do not have access to those two original lozenge fabric samples to help determine their true origin. The owner wants at least $2000 for each one.

Regards, Gary Sewall

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Gary:
They appear to be actual German five color fabric. From studying the posted photos, I don't think they are fake. If I could have answers to those questions, I could make a positive identification and determine what airplane they came off of. Maybe the owner can answer those questions, and then I would be able to positively answer your question. The price is certainly right.
From the seam to seam dimension of 1320,he horizontal cross arm is 1319.89mmmm and the verrtical arm is 1649 9mm plus. The rib spacing is 335 x.923=309. From the location of the seam on the left side and relative to the vertical arm of the cross, this fabric may have come from the upper left wing of an OAW built Fok.D.VII from the production batch of D.2050/18 to
2099/18. There are disparities in the answers above, but working from just that photo does not provide precision in answers, you only get an indication.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[gipsymoth236k]

OK, new information is forth coming! I now have both of those lozenge fabric artifacts in my possession to examine!

FIRST:

This large Fokker D.VII lozenge wing fabric with painted German cross included some documentation, and it came from the Captain Clayton L. Bissell estate:

Clayton Lawrence Bissell - The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I

Bissell was a fighter pilot with the American 148th Aero Squadron, at the time flying Sopwith Camels. At about noon on October 28, 1918, while flying patrol NE of Jenlain, France is when Bissell brought down two Fokker D.VIIs, just minutes apart. The documentation that accompanied the fabric states that this fabric was a war trophy from one of those two vanquished D.VIIs.

This fabric is a very well preserved specimen, being quite large with the 4:5-type (OAW-built Fokker D.VII) painted German cross, lozenge fabric rib tapes, small rib-stitching with broken or cut thread sewn through the rib tapes, fabric joint seam, varnished over coating, and even some small field repair fabric patches with frayed edges.

I will closely examine this artifact more and answer the previous questions and any others that might be of interest.

It is a very rare opportunity to examine such an intact specimen first hand, and I wonder just what it is really worth in today's market? Any ideas?

(Later, I will discuss the second piece of Fokker D.VII fuselage lozenge fabric with painted German cross, as details are yet to be examined...)

Regards, Gary Sewall

[gipsymoth236k]

Dan-San and Others,

Please remind me again - what thread count should I expect to find tomorrow when I examine these two original lozenge fabric artifacts using a magnifying glass?

Thanks, Gary Sewall

[StephenLawson]

Greetings Gary;

German could be 50 -70 threads per square inch. Also the fabric will be extruded - squashed in the cross section. (From the steam calendering.)

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Gary:
Been real busy on a researching my Father's experiences in China, a film company is interested in his story.
The thread count on German Fabrics is 50 to 55 yarns per inch (10yarns per centimeter). What Steve has quoted for the top number of yarns is incorrect, The Yarn count is 50 to 55 yarns /inch in both warp ( the pattern repeat direction ) and the woof or today, filling direction across the width of the fabric.
Clamp tightly a small piece between two acrilic blocks,(in warp or fill direction), shave the yarns smooth to the block surface and examine the fabric sample on edge. Use a high powered microscope, I had available a 100 power scope, you will be able to delineate the different coats of dope, probably two, and varnish, looks like maybe two also. generally only one, time and money.
let me know what you find.
Blue Skuies,
Dan-San

[SCMc]

When I looked at the two pieces of fabric in post #6, I noticed that the patterns are reversed from left to right, and the darkest color on the piece on the left is replaced with a pale color on the right. Are we looking at the back side of one piece?

Steve