The conservation of two First World War German aircraft

An Albatros fighter shot down on 17 December 1917 had good provenance and still retained vestiges of original paint colours and markings present under a repaint on the fuselage. A number of original images of this particular aircraft on the day of capture are in the Australian War Memorial (AWM) collection. Only two of these aircraft still exist.The second aircraft, a Pfalz, was acquired in 1918 under the terms of the Armistice. It had little known provenance, and no known original contemporary images existed, although a number of images of similar aircraft of the period were held. It was believed that no original painted surface or markings remained on the fuselage. Four other Pfalz aircraft currently exist, with the AWM aircraft considered the most structurally original. Numerous repairs and restorations were undertaken on both aircraft between 1919 and the 1970s, including a complete but inaccurate re-covering of all the wing fabric. In 2007, a treatment was commenced to repair damage and return both aircraft to their original 1918 appearance, with a more accurate wing fabric to be applied. The Albatros was to be displayed at floor level and presented no particular support difficulties. The Pfalz was to be displayed by suspension at height. This necessitated investigation of the wing and fuselage integrity, design of a suspension method, and the replacement of any critical load-bearing elements with certifiable engineered elements.