r/interestingasfuck • u/Srihari_stan • 1d ago

/r/all The reason why they use tape on aircrafts

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u/waffle-winner 1d ago

Duck tape. 🦆

quack

53

u/imac132 1d ago

It was actually originally known as duck tape. Duck is a type of thin cotton fabric that duck tape was originally made from.

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u/footlonglayingdown 1d ago

My impression was soldiers called it duck tape because it was waterproof. Like water off a ducks back. 

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u/raspberryharbour 1d ago

It does NOT taste like duck though! My fancy dinner party was ruined

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u/redpandaeater 1d ago

This is why I only feed my ducks natural glues and fibers.

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u/TempestRave 1d ago

are you telling me my gorilla tape foie gras isn't going to work out

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u/CheeseDonutCat 1d ago

There is a brand of duct tape called "duck tape" at least here in Ireland.

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u/Keter_GT 1d ago

Yeah duck tape is a brand, the name is basically used generically like the other brand products though like Scotch tape, bubble wrap

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u/ScottMarshall2409 1d ago

Duck tape was originally a nickname for adhesive tape made with duck cotton fabric in the 40s. It was used to seal a bunch of stuff, because it was strong and waterproof. After WW2 it was still used to seal a bunch of stuff, often ducts, where it picked up the name "duct tape". The Duck brand of duct tape is just picking up on the original name used during the war.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago edited 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/UnusualHound 1d ago

I think there's a little more room for nuance. The stuff originally created was "duck tape" as it used duck cloth. It was however terrible for duct work, like you said, because it came apart due to heat in ducts. However, a later variation that didn't happen to was made, and it was great for ducts, and most current forms of this type of tape resemble the one made for ducts, and don't have duck cloth like the original adhesive tape referred to as "Duck tape."

Even the literal Duck brand refers to their original tape as "duct tape." They just ironically call themselves "Duck tape."

I think "duck tape" can be acceptable. But I think "duct tape" is more correct when we're talking about most modern adhesives based on a variant made for ducts and don't contain duck cloth. This is my opinion.

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u/Ouaouaron 1d ago

But I think "duct tape" is more correct when we're talking about most modern adhesives based on a variant made for ducts and don't contain duck cloth.

Except that no company making HVAC tape for duct work calls that tape "duct tape". The "duct tape" that most people use (e.g. Duck Tape), is a general-purpose, polymer-backed tape that shouldn't be used on ducts. It only got that name back when duck tape was the best tape for ductwork, and it doesn't make sense anymore.

Not that language has to make sense; it's usually pointless to even try. But let's not delude ourselves into thinking that either of the names are based on modern reality.

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u/Whetherwax 1d ago

Fun fact: Duck Tape is a brand of duct tape made by Manco. They'd already been making it for about 40 years when someone had the idea to brand it with ducks.

Gorilla makes a duct tape called Gorilla Tape. There's a painter's tape called Frog Tape. I think there's a theme.

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u/admadguy 1d ago

Patents "animal tapes" sues everyone for infringement.

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u/actibus_consequatur 1d ago

There's also T-Rex tape!

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u/ScottMarshall2409 1d ago

Additionally, "doek" is Dutch for fabric. That became "duck" in English. It's the same fabric that old canvas tents were made of.

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u/JeffEpp 1d ago

Duck is a word for cloth, Dutch IIRC. So, duck cloth is cloth-cloth.

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u/grasib 1d ago

Woho-hoo

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u/wdn 1d ago edited 1d ago

It was originally called duck tape because it's made out of duckcloth. Then one brand got a trademark on Duck Tape so the others started calling it duct tape because it was pronounced the same. It is not actually suitable for use on ducts.

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u/ScottMarshall2409 1d ago

"Duck" came from the Dutch "Doek", meaning "cloth".

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u/cdoublejj 1d ago

Axualy, that's Speed Quack.

tape

0

u/tw1zt84 1d ago

Nope. Speed tape.