Airplanes as deck cargo

[onyxman]

Perhaps there are some older cargo experts that can help me. I just posted a picture from my father's collection of a WWII fighter carried as deck cargo. (It's in the 1950s merchant ship category...I didn't know where else to put it)I was wondering, what is the dark colored coating used to protect planes for sea transport? It appears to be some shrink-wrapped material, but I think it's to early to be plastic. Any ideas?

[maripaul]

In the mid 50s we carried several planes as deck cargo between Naha, Okinawa and Yokuska, Japan as well as from Okinawa to Honolulu and even to New York.  Vessels were C-4 Mariners with American Pioneer Lines, which was part of the then United States Lines.  The aircraft were always coated with Cosmoline, which even today some automobiles are coated with as a rust preventive.  Most were U.S. Navy Aviation aircraft and their wings were always folded up to allow more aircraft on deck.

[onyxman]

Thanks maripaul. Cosmolene seems to be the most common recollection, but this stuff on the picture seems to be sheet-like.

[David Duggan]

Onyxman,

I know this is probably a long shot, but could it be parachute materiel, sprayed wiyh something to make it "stick" as a temporary measure whilst the planes were being shipped??

Regards,
David D.

[David Duggan]

Onyxman,

I know this is probably a long shot, but could it be parachute materiel, sprayed wiyh something to make it "stick" as a temporary measure whilst the planes were being shipped??

Regards,
David D.

[onyxman]

I had the same thought, David..some kind of doped fabric, like they used to use to cover airplane frames. You'd put some coating on the fabrc, not to make it stick, but to make it shrink tight.