K.u.k Tarnstoff rib tapes

[Rowan Broadbent]

Originally Posted by womenfly2

Great info and pictures. Now I am curious as to the covering on the wings leaning against the wall.
It looks like a swirl pattern printed fabric (?). Any info on this?

Thanks for sharing,
WF2

Awsome build!!!!

See the earlier postings in this thread.

The whorl printed fabric was introduced late in the war - for the Oeffag factory only, it is thought - at least I have never seen it on any other manufacturer's machines.

Unlike the German Lozenge fabric, it was hand printed and therefore slower to produce. The actual colours used are thought to have been terracotta, light olive, ochre and prussian blue - others may know more.

There was some research done by the late Dr Martin O'Connor and I believe published in either WWI Aero or Over the Front - again others will know more specifics. I'd love to see a copy of the article (hint, hint!)

[Rowan Broadbent]

sorry, double post!

[Cliff]

Dr Martin O'Connor's series of 12 articles were in Cross and Cockade UK , from Volume 17 to 19. One issue -can't remember which but probably
V.19 #2 - dealt with the Austrian Sworl camo.

Cliff

[womenfly2]

Originally Posted by Cliff

Dr Martin O'Connor's series of 12 articles were in Cross and Cockade UK , from Volume 17 to 19. One issue -can't remember which but probably
V.19 #2 - dealt with the Austrian Sworl camo.

Cliff

Thanks. Just that I do not have CC vol's or V.19 #2 with Dr. Martin O'Connor's series of 12 articles.

Would like to read about it, though.

Back to this thread; interesting no rib tapes, specially when everyone else was applying them at the time (?). Why just Albatross?

Cheers,
WF2

[StephenLawson]

Totally posed for the camera. By the way the sworl pattern was done originally by a textile mill that manufactured carpets.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Rowan:
I don't think it was hand printed, it is much too uniform to be hand printed. Tis is a fabric that Marty had asked me if I had anything on the colors of the sworl pattern. I told him I had zero, the only thing I had was the picture in, "Die Albatros (Oeffag) Jagdflugzeug der k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppen" was the photo of the sworl printed fabric on page 238 in back of D.III upper wing.
there are seven repeat across the width of the fabric in the photo.
the partial repeat on the lower edge make me think it was machine printed. In the length direction, the sworls interlock in a continous pattern. this would be near impossible in hand printing. It seems a break occurs in every fourth repeat in the length direction??
It would require more study for me with a blow up of this photo, to determine the patterns and dimensions. First think is to identify that wing in order to determine it's dimensions, and then from that establish the dprinted pattern dimension. I think the colors are light green darker greens and browns. The wing is not an Albatros D.III wing. The photo is from Marty, so I was not telling him, anything new.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Koloman Mayrhofer]

hallo,

the sworl fabric was produced by the company named "Backhausen " which is still in business producing high quality high price fabric for furniture.
there are rumors that they may have the original samples in there archiv. at least they have all the samples from other fabric from that time and before and still produce them.
i am not sure about the printing process but it is believed that it is not roller printed as the german hex fabric.certainly not handpainted . probably a sort
silkscreen or other masking thing

the wings are late production albatros D III series 253.
the picture is not a marty picture it is an official oeffag company picture taken by the photographer of the company. it was first published to my knowledge in a oeffag factory catalog to promote there products from early 1919 just before the interallied commision stopped all efforts to build and sell airplanes in austria. if the picture was taken at that time or still during the war i do not know.
the ailerons seen on the rack are all wire trailing edge so they are series 253 wich got into full production in april may 1918.at least from 253.32 on the wire trailing edge on ailerons and elevator are mandatory. the balkenkreuze are also indicating a very close to the end of the war date
there are factory pictures that 253.118 had still iron cross markings painted on but the siderudders in the background have all the balkenkreuze on them. i would say it is not earlier as september or oktober 1918
i believe that this catalog was produced in the efforts to sell the D III airplanes left from the war production. btw 38 were sold to poland.

in any way a spectacular fabric.
i am a bit surprised that this odd austrian fabric finds interest as usually everything is concentrating on german stuff.
cheers
koloman mayrhofer

[davecww1]

Hi Koloman,
Sounds like you have researched this fabric extensively, do you have any contact information for the "Backhausen " arcives? Maybe a letter to them in their language (where are they located?) would get someone to search through the archives and photograph the original fabric sample. we could only dream!
I am also going to do an Albatros D.III Oef with the sworl camouflage as used by American pilots in the Kozscuo sic? Squadron in Poland. maybe if I wait long enough Eduard will release this kit!
Dave