Q Repair of bulletholes

[Cash]

Good "evening" Gentleman,

here in Germany its nighttime 21:46, so no time to fly, but to patch and repair these damn bulletholes ive got today while flying for Jasta 2 over Albert.

I do have a question, im looking for infos about how this have been done in ww1. How it looked like. What materials have been used etc.

Ive read and looked around a bit, found some "basics", but nothing special about it. For example ive read in another forum that sometimes small iron crosses, or cocades would have been painted over the bulletholes. Dont really know mutch about it.

 

It would be nice if anybody could help me with some facts and infos about this subject.

 

Thanks!

Cash

by the way, drinks in the mess are on me tonight!

[DukeIronHand]

Guten Tag Cash.

 

Reference the use of Crosses and Cockades painted over bullet hole repairs I have seen photographs of this done on both sides but I will have to say, while making for a very cool photograph, I don't think it was all that common especially among the British.

 

Reference the actual repair of the fabric itself it is recorded that a piece of fabric was simply glued in place over the hole.

Obviously if the hit was more than just a fabric damage, like a small part or minor spar or something underneath, then of course that would be fixed first, a larger area of fabric replaced and then re-doped. I imagine, though have not seen recorded specifically, that the bullet hole patches would be re-doped also to prevent water problems.

 

We must have an expert here, I am sure, who could add details.

 

I do know, for the British anyway, that if the repair was major (main spars and "longerons") or time consuming, that it was not done at the squadron level but sent to a nearby depot. Engine change outs were apparently not considered major and were often done at the squadron level.

I imagine the other services were the same but don't remember a written record. MvR has written of planes being "sent back" and this is probably what he is referring too.

 

 

Edit: Grammar and clarification.

Edited October 14, 2011 by DukeIronHand

[Olham]

Hallo, and welcome back, Cash - I will have a virtual Warsteiner, please (a big one).

 

I can only tell you, that aircraft with bigger damage were sent to the Armee-Flugpark.

Each Armee-Sektor had such an AFluP.

For each Jasta, I think three of their aircraft were always stored there as a replacement

for damaged or lost aircraft. The Jastas were always stationed near a railway line, so

the aircraft could even be sent per trains (the wings were taken off for that).

 

I guess (but do not know for sure) that the replacement craft from the AFluP were

flown to the Jastas.

All shot through spars and struts had to be replaced. But I do not know how they

repaired simple holes in the fabric or in the Albatros' plywood. The simplest way would

be to glue a piece of doped fabric over such holes.

[Olham]

Cash, I have just found this post about the same questions at "The Aerodrome" website.

 

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/38290-how-did-they-repair-albatros-fuselage.html

[Bullethead]

I once knew a guy who owned a Tiger Moth. One day, while working on the upper wing cables, he dropped his crescent wrench, which fell through the canvas of the lower wing between ribs. He fixed the holes by gluing down patches and painted pictures of the wrench on them, in conscious immitation of the custom of painting the insignia of the shooter of the bullet that made the hole.

[carrick58]

Duck Tape ?

[Cash]

Thanks guys, thats what i was looking for!

 

From your infos ill try to take some deeper look into it.

 

By the way, today its good flying weather here, all blue sky! See you in the skys or even better in the mess this evening

[DukeIronHand]

I once knew a guy who owned a Tiger Moth. One day, while working on the upper wing cables, he dropped his crescent wrench, which fell through the canvas of the lower wing between ribs. He fixed the holes by gluing down patches and painted pictures of the wrench on them, in conscious immitation of the custom of painting the insignia of the shooter of the bullet that made the hole.

 

Haha...that is hilarious!

[+elephant]

Here are two examples of bullethole patches in the form of a British roundel in Albatrosse:

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2011 by elephant

[gaw]

cool detail....never knew....thanks!

[Cash]

Nice Photos! Thanks for that elephant!

[DukeIronHand]

Over the pilots right shoulder in the first photograph.

 

Flare attachments?

[+elephant]

Yes, that's right...