WIX Archives

Re: Fabric control surfaces

Posted by Ron Henry on Wed Aug 07, 2002 03:13:09 PM

In reply top Re: Fabric control surfaces posted by Ray Crawford on Wed Aug 07, 2002 12:49:14 AM

: Well, a bullet will just as easily pass through an aluminu
: m-skinned control surface as a fabric covered one.
: It's easier to manufacture a fabric covered control surfac
: e.
: On the other hand, a metal-skinned control surface resists
: exposure to the elements much better than the fabric alte
: rnative. Not to mention the vulnerability of fabric surfac
: es if exposed to fire. I've seen photos of a Mosquito that
: flew through a fireball (flak burst, another aircraft exp
: loding?) and the control surfaces had been burned clean of
: fabric. The aircraft returned to base, by the way.
: Also, with the increase in speed seen in the later part of
: the war, problems were beginning to crop up with fabric c
: overed control surfaces. I can't recall the exact problem
: but I believe it had something to do with the fabric bulgi
: ng at high speed and ruining the effectiveness of the cont
: rol surface. This seems to have been the most important re
: ason for abandoning fabric.
: Fabric was used on the aircraft used in the beginning of t
: he war but increasingly fell by the wayside as time wore o
: n.
:
:
It seems to me that when you're into mass production, it must be many times quicker to wrap control surfaces in fabric than in metal. As for durability - what was the expected average life of a WW2 aircraft? I think us Brits also clung onto fabric covering for many of our products.


:
: Ray
: : Why do most of the WWII fighters use canvas or cloth on
: th
: : e movable surfaces. Just curious but keep getting confl
: ic
: : ting answers. I've heard bullits would pass thru the fa
: br
: : ic, I've also heard that weight was a factor.
: :
: : Thanks
: :
: : Ros

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