Covering Mysteries
When we first saw the Bing Autoplan, we assumed that it was originally covered in silk, as would have been typical of aircraft of the time. We were wrong.
The conservators at the ICA first brought this to our attention after they finished examining the covering remnants that are still attached to the frame. Their determination is that the fibers they were seeing were certainly not silk. Another lesson learned in not making assumptions.
It does, however, beg the question. What was the Bing Autoplan originally covered with?
Correspondence with an associate at the Spielzeugmuseum, the Bing Brothers Toy Museum in Germany, offered a translation of the catalog text describing the Autoplan. The text describes a “water-resistant rubber textile” used as covering. Our contact noted, however, that the Autoplan that was most recently sold at auction was said to have its original covering and that it just looked like natural linen. The fabric was also not adhered to the wing using dope or another adhesive. Instead, it was stitched.
We shared this information with the conservator, and he speculated that the “water-resistant rubber textile” could be the remnants that they were seeing, although other evidence points to a paper covering.
We wonder, we wonder (which is a type of assumption and could get us in trouble again). Was the original “water-resistant rubber textile” covering damaged at some point between its manufacture in 1914 and its use as a decoration at the Lindbergh party in 1927? And could an intrepid modeler have repaired the model by removing that covering and adhering something more readily at hand, like paper? Maybe. Or maybe there’s another explanation. We don’t know.
We do know that the one auctioned off in Germany was said to be authentic and original, so we are going to use that as our guide. The decision was made to cover our Bing Autoplan in linen. We’re also taking a lot of notes on the process and decisions involved to document what happened. That way, if there are questions in the future speculation and assumption are less likely.
Early planes were covered with rubberized fabrics such as silk and linen. It was sometimes called rubberized balloon fabric. Models of the day used ordinary aircraft materials. A review of full scale aircraft covering materials might shed light on the original. Rubber, and nitrate dope, would deteriorate on exposure to air and light, so restoration to original condition might not be advised. Of course, all restorations should be reversible.