Aircraft fabric covering often used in the restoration of older types that were originally covered using traditional methods. The purposes of the fabric covering of an aircraft are: Pioneering aviators such as George Cayley and Otto Lilienthal used cotton-covered flying surfaces for their manned glider designs. The Wright brothers also used cotton to cover their Wright Flyer. Other early aircraft used a variety of fabrics, silk and linen being commonly used. Some early aircraft, such as A.V. Roe's first machines, even used paper as a covering material. Until the development of cellulose based dope in 1911 a variety of methods of finishing the
Fabric structure Heavier fabric scrims, however, are too tightly woven to allow the same bonding. In this case, an adhesive is used to bond the exterior films to the base fabric. A good chemical bond is critical to both prevention of delamination and development of seam strengths. The seam is created when vinyl-coated fabrics are welded together. The adhesive enables the seam to meet shear forces and load requirements for a structure at all temperatures. The adhesive prevents wicking of moisture into the scrim’s fibers, which also prevents fungal growth or freezing that could affect the exterior coating's adhesion to the scrim.