Development of Fabrics for USAF Summer Uniforms Using Synthetic Fibers

This project was undertaken as a result of a letter from Headquarters USAF, dated 29 March 1951, entitled Conservation of Wool, and because it was believed that synthetic fibers possesed an untapped potential adaptable to the needs of the USAF for uniform purposes. Dacron, a polyester fiber, was chosen as the principal constituent in this investigation because of its unusual properties. The manner in which this fiber would react when used in a uniform fabric and when blended with other fibers could not be determined by laboratory methods hence the service wear test. The results of this test indicate that Dacron, when blended with wool or viscose rayon in a fifty-to-fifty weight ratio, will produce a fabric superior to either the presently used 100 wool or the experimental 100 Dacron fabric.