[WWI] What did maintenance crews do with bullet holes?

[Diego Fernetti]

Rob!
> How were the wings/fuselage patched up of there were bullet holes or other 
> anti-aircraft damage?
> Did they just glue patches of doped lined over it and paint over them?

I have read some articles explaining how this was done and when. IIRC, if an 
airplane landed with damage to its fabric, it was thoroughly checked up for 
structural and control line damage before any repairs were made. Then, it 
was "patched" with a patch of linen with frayed edges, that was given a few 
coats of dope and that was all, if the damage wasn't over some fabric seam, 
and if so, the strip of fabric over the seam was replaced entirely. There 
was -at least in France- some repair kits prepared, much like the rubber 
bycicle tyre patches for punctures, that were small round patches of linen 
that came pre-doped and were much neater -and probably safer and lighter- 
that the frayed edged suare patched cut at squadron workshops.
If structural damage was found, the fabric covering was removed (sometimes 
partially in wings, don't know how they did that) the wooden or metal parts 
repaired, and the area was recovered in fresh linen and doped anew.
If the damage was serious, the airframe was dissasembled and lorried to a 
nearby dêpot where it was refurbished or discarded. Probably many parts 
could be salvaged and used to repair other airframes, like metallic 
fittings.

> Or did they do the whole wing every time?

To keep the airplane in the air, sometimes they just switced the damaged 
wing with a new one, and repaired the damaged unit without hurry.
D.