Leading Edge Tape on Dr.I’s

[Laserlloyd]

Hi Aerodromer:

I have started this thread because of the things that Application of printed fabrics. has brought to light on the D.VII’s. I didn’t want to distract from that thread so I have started this new one.

Now that I have been look at the leading edge for the strip of fabric on my Dr.I photos I have been noticing that some of the Dr.I’s have a darker strip on the leading edge. I would like to discuss this with you to see what we can come up with.

Things that we should discussing are:
1) What color is this strip?
2) Is this strip just painted or is this an extra fabric strip that is painted?
3) At what point did this start appearing?
4) Why was it added?
5) If painted how did the edges became straight and even after painting the top and bottom surface of the wing.
6) If the strip is fabric then was it put on after the wings were painted?
7) Was the strip pre-colored?

I would like to hold off on the rib tape until we work on this first.

Here is a list of Dr.I’s that I can see the leading edge strip on. If you know of any please add them too.

217/17 – Accepted on January 25, 1918
218/17 – Accepted on December 15, 1917
436/17 - Accepted on January 12, 1918
472/17 - Accepted on unknown
474/17 - Accepted on unknown
475/17 - Accepted on unknown
504/17 – Accepted on unknown
521/17 – Accepted on unknown
525/17 – Accepted on unknown

I have photos that show the uneven top/bottom line that in-between the listings above. So the presences of these are sporadic and I don’t think that it was consistent after a certain date. So why the different styles during the build at the Fokker factory.

Here is the leading edge on 160/17. This is an example of the uneven painted edge that is on the earlier Dr.I’s .
Photo no.1

All photos here are courtesy of Terry Phillips and Peter Grosz, thanks for your help…

Here is the first Dr.I (217/17) that has this darker stripe. Is this the first one that was made this way? Dan-San has says “What you are seeing is the olive brown join with the skyblue/turquiose at the leading edge. Above is the light reflecting off of the curved upper surface of the leading edge.” And “I have yet to see a photo that shows the evidence of rib or leading taping.”. Taz has said “The Dr.I used both leading edge and rib tapes on some aircraft and rib tapes on all aircraft.”. So what do you think?:
Photo no.2


Here is 218/17, please note that this stripe is extremely even, if this was painted then how is this done to make the edges so straight? If the strip is fabric then was it put on after the wings were painted? Was the strip pre-colored?
Photo no.3


Here is a photo of 451/17. The dark stripe in not noticeable but in the middle of the wing can be seen two faint lines located in the darker section as if there was a additional leading edge fabric strip.
Photo no. 4


Here is a photo of 504/17. This is the top wing and the darker stripe can be seen in the white cross field.
Photo no.5


504/17 again but a close up of the middle wing.
Photo no.6


This should get us started in figuring out if this was painted or a added fabric strip.

Lloyd…

[Laserlloyd]

If you want I can start on the rib tape examples.

Lloyd...

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Lloyd:
I think that dark line on some of the For DR.I wing leading edges is the painter's effort to correct the ragged line were the top streaking is painted over the leading, nothing more and nothing less. One of Fokker's painters was neater than the other and took the time to finish the leading edge correctly.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Laserlloyd]

Hi Dan-San:

Ok, if this was painted then what color would you say it was, to be it just look black. Would it have been hand painted because they seem vary strait. What was then the purpose of this painted line. If I place this in the context of "the painter's effort to correct the ragged line were the top streaking is painted over the leading, nothing more and nothing less." then this is purely cosmetic to cover the the join line of the top and bottom paint. The question that this bring up is would the Fokker factory add more paint just for an cosmetic look. I thought that all resources of the raw materials like the pigments were running low and that every effort was made to conserve these resources. Wouldn't adding more pigment to the plane be a waist of money, resources and added build time? The only thing I can think is that this could have served another purpose like a thicker coat of varnish or glue to give extra support to the stitching on the leading edge. what do you think?

Lloyd...

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Lloyd:
Let's use a little logic. You have just finish streaking the top surface and you want to clean up thje leading edge, what would you use? very simple, the same paint you just painted the top surface with. The would dip it in the paint and turn the brush parallel to the leading edge and the paint forms a line about 20mm wide, and a professional would draw a straight line down the leading edge at full strength. The color is olive brown and is as dark as the cowlings and axle wing.
I think you are making a big deal out of this. Think about it, for what purpose would the black line serve? You would have to wait until the olive paint is dry paint, before you could paint on the black. More time, more money and no purpose.
Lloyd, the finished dark edge is the olive paint applied in concentration and the wing is finished ready to varnish when the olive paint is dry. Look at photo #6 enlargement, the color of the dark line on the leading in some places along the leading edge exactly matches the dark streak on the leading edge and matches the leading edge stacking pad.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Laserlloyd]

Hi Dan-San:

Look at photo #6 enlargement, the color of the dark line on the leading in some places along the leading edge exactly matches the dark streak on the leading edge and matches the leading edge stacking pad.

Yes, I do agree with that, the stacking pad matching the line is a good one and the green paint would be a logical choice.


If no one has anything to add to this them we can go on to the wing tape.

I would like to start off by showing a photo of FI 101/17 w/n 1697 that clearly shows the wing tape before the plane was painted.



If this was on 101/17 then it was also on 102/17 and 103/17. The V5's are the next examples.

Lloyd...

[Taz]

Lloyd- I disagree with Dan-San on this one. For one thing, there is a sample of fabric from 425/17 with a leading edge tape.

Dan-San and I agree there was a seam at the front of the wing because we think 1.3 meter linen was used to cover the 1.0 meter chord wings. (Langdon Badger thinks they used wider fabric, so no seam required at both the front and rear, only at one edge.) From this piece of 425/17fabric, it appears the fabric was first sewn together for use on the trailing edge and then pulled and sewn together on the leading edge much like the belly seam. As a matter of fact, when I first saw the photos of the 425/17 wing leading edge specimen, I though it was a belly seam. On 425/17, this seam was covered by a leading edge tape, and on close examination, the coarse and angled stitches could be clearly seen through the leading edge tape. I believe you have seen the same photos. These leading edge tapes are very difficult to see because most were painted the same color as the wings. I believe some were dipped in a dark color (black, olive) before application and then used as a demarcation line or, more likely, applied after olive streaking and light blue were applied to close off the seam and prevent airflow from separating the leading edge stitches. The fabric on the leading edge had been folded back top and bottom to give a stronger seam.

Not all Triplanes appear to have had a leading edge tape, and on some photos you can see what looks like the seam of the top and bottom pieces of fabric fairly plainly.

So you now have two points of view, both using similar evidence.

Taz
Terry Phillips

[Laserlloyd]

Hi Taz:

We have been discussing 425/17 with are group for while and you did present your photos of the leading edge. During this you suppled the H/R photo of the front view at Lechelle airfield and this is were I first saw the wing tape. I will admit looking at all the photos the leading edge have one thing in common and that is there just not clear to see the texture between the L/E tape and the fabric behind it.

I wish the report on 144/17 would have included the paint and fabric information instead of just the structural design information.

Langdon gave us the photo of the lower wing cross field held at AWM that also show the wing tape going thou the center of the cross. I have do doubt that All the Dr.I's had the wing tape, I was just uncertain on the leading edge tape. You had mentioned one of the thing that I was also thinking that the L/E tape was pre-treated with some darker color before it was applied. The green color that Dan-San thinks it was makes sense to me but I'm still not sure if it was the green or if it was black.

I will gather up some close ups of the wing tape as examples.

Thanks for response.

Lloyd...

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Lloyd:
1. Please explain to me why you think it is black?
2. For what purpose, nothing is done without a purpose, what purpose?
3. Does it add to the camouflage or markings?
4. Is it required by IdFlieg?
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Taz;
Could you please post the photo that shows rib tapes and leading edge tapes.
Blue skies,
Dan-San