Fabrics in Aviation: The Characteristics and Methods of Testing of Various Textile Materials Examined and Explained

TO attain the maximum in design and performance of a fabricated article requires familiarity with the characteristics and properties of the materials employed. That there is a keen appreciation of these facts is evidenced by the use of new and improved materials and processes throughout the industry. The development of textiles has kept pace with general progress, yet the designer in aeronautics is relatively uninformed as to the characteristics and limitations of textile materials, as compared with his information on metals, heat treatments, protective coatings, and the like. So long as textile materials are used as stressed members, as in the case of wing coverings, semi‐and non‐rigid balloon envelopes, and parachute canopies, they must necessarily be subject to the same careful scrutiny as other structural materials with reference to the design and performance of the fabricated article. Specifications for textile materials are widely known and thoroughly appreciated, thanks to the excellent work of engineering, technical and commercial organisation, and Governmental agencies. The interpretation of these specifications and an appreciation of the limitations of the material specified, however, are apt to be faulty, and it is with the hope of being of assistance in this connection that the following discussion is offered.