What material covered the wings of the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer?

Unbleached muslin covered the wings of the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer.

The brothers used fabric stretched over a wooden airframe to create the Flyer’s lifting surfaces. The aircraft’s wings and other structural parts were made primarily from spruce and other wood, while the fabric covering kept the design light enough for its modest engine power.

Muslin was a plain cotton fabric, and the Flyer’s fabric was left unbleached rather than finished as a brightly colored or polished surface. This lightweight construction reflected the brothers’ emphasis on reducing mass while maintaining enough strength for repeated tests.

The Flyer’s fabric covering is sometimes confused with canvas or silk, materials associated with other aircraft and historical aircraft restorations. The original 1903 machine was a fabric-covered biplane with a 40-foot-4-inch wingspan and a wooden framework.