My research leads me to believe that the wing skins may have been fabricated from Durestos, an asbestos felt reinforced phenolic resin, selected because it was cheaper and had a higher specific stiffness than the emerging glass fibre/polyester resin composite materials of the period. The higher skin temperatures of transonic flight might have also played a role. Talk about being ahead of its time.

My father in law worked for Fairy Aviation then Fairey Engineering for 40 years - he has passed away and we are sorting though his effects. I came across a large technical document for a Prototype aircraft called the E.10/47 from 1950. The drawing of the plane looks similar to the FD1. Is there any organisation who collects this type of document?

FD1. First flight March 12 1951. Delta-winged research plane. Control proved difficult.