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Fabric analysis key to Vickers Vimy relocation and preservation
2025_09
Only two of the historic Vickers Vimy aircrafts remain in the world today; one at the British Science Museum and one on display at Adelaide Airport.
The Vickers Vimy aircraft was piloted by South Australian brothers, Sir Keith and Sir Ross Smith, on the first official flight from England to Australia. It was famously part of “The Great Air Race” of 1919-1920 where they travelled from London to Darwin in 28 days. That flight was only 16 years after the first engine-powered flight by the Wright brothers and is considered the catalyst for inspiring the formation of Australia’s first international airline.
The legacy of the historic aircraft is upheld at Adelaide Airport’s Vickers Vimy Exhibition where it is permanently on display. The responsibility to prepare and relocate the Vickers Vimy to its current location was entrusted to Artlab Australia, leaders in conservation of cultural collections with national and international reputation.
The Vickers Vimy aircraft weighs 3.2 tonnes, has a wingspan of 21m and body length of 13m. It is primarily made of a timber frame with highly flammable doped fabric. To determine the best parameters for the aircraft’s safe relocation and preservation, Artlab Australia engaged Flinders Microscopy and Microanalysis (FMMA), which is a collaboration of experts and equipment from Microscopy Australia and Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF).
Renita Ryan, Artlab Australia said “it is known that the Vickers Vimy has been twice restored having undergone major repairs after a fire in 1957, and then again in 1981/2 after years of display. Artlab wanted to determine the location of original fabric remaining on the aircraft, the identity of the original doping chemicals, and the identity of later paint layers on the fabric.”
Identifying the coating materials on the Vickers Vimy was complicated because of the multiple coating layers, some areas being reproduction and some areas original. Six tiny (millimetre and sub-mm) sized pieces of painted fabric were taken from different areas of the Vickers Vimy and used for the analysis. Astonishingly, the results of the analysis suggests that after the fire and major restorations on the aircraft, there are still remnants of original fabric present.
To ascertain elemental composition, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with X-ray analysis was conducted by Dr Alex Sibley, FMMA’s Microspectroscopy Facility Manager. He said “it was a great opportunity to analyse some very unique samples in order to provide insight into such a historically important project.”
ANFF-SA’s Raman microscope and Flinders’ infrared (IR) spectroscopies were used to determine molecular composition. The IR analysis was conducted by Flinders’ Emeritus Professor of Forensic Science, Paul Kirkbride, and the Raman analysis by ANFF-SA Flinders’ spectroscopist, Dr Jason Gascooke.
Dr Gascooke said “Having the expertise of the group and equipment all within the one facility makes it a lot easier to do all the different characterisation techniques.”
Renita said "FMMA, Microscopy Australia and ANFF-SA provided the expertise and analytical techniques that Artlab did not have in house. The team understood what we were trying to achieve, were responsive and timely in undertaking analysis and the final report was a well presented, clear summary of findings.
Renita said that the team “provided the results required within the budget. Subsequently, we have engaged ANFF-SA for other paint sample analysis.”
ANFF-SA is a world-class micro and nanofabrication facility providing open access to cutting-edge equipment housed in state-of-the-art facilities with support from world-leading experts.
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