Ideas about building a personal hangar

[SaskCessna]

I have been looking at building a personal hangar for storing two Cessna 182's. What I would like is to be able to do is pull either plane out without having to move the other. I have looked at 60'X 60' but it seems like it would be tough to get out with out moving them. Does anyone have any experience with this size of hangar and how it fits? I would be looking to do electric heat to keep the hangar just above 0 degrees during the winter for ease of operation.

I would be willing to expand it to 70' or even more if need be. I know everyone always says no one ever complains about building to big, only to small.

Also, any ideas about neat things that you have done or seen in different hangars let me know.

Thanks

[avcanada]

My brother in law just built one you could contact him on advice. His name is Dan and can be contacted at dan@syz.com .

[fleet16b]

One of the things that is always a pain is having to move one airplane to get another out
If I were to build a hanger for two aircraft, I would have a bifolding door on both sides for easier movement. More Expensive yes but much more convenient . Also radiaent heat is the way to go

[iflyforpie]

+1 on doors on both sides. Far less footprint and if you are leasing the land for a larger hangar anyways, you should be able to configure it so both doors have good access.

Another alternative is to change one of the aircraft into a Cherokee 235.

[Pratt X 3]

http://www.armaerospace.com/

[CFR]

http://www.armaerospace.com/

You still have to move one airplane to get to the upper one!

Now this is the way to go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kKABEMewEk

[JDW]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kKABEMewEk

now those are some nice toys!

[71C182N]

I have had a C182 for a year and a half now and I agree that moving one to get at the other is a pain. The hangar I am in now has another C182 up front.

Unfortunately I have never had the luxury of a hangar that would allow access to both aircraft, but my only advice would be that if you do build a big hangar, don't build the door too small. The first hangar I was in was 70 wide X 45 deep, and although it would fit both aircraft comfortably side by side, the door was just BARELY wide enough to get one aircraft past the other. If it had been another foot narrower we would have just moved both aircraft, but because it was so close to the right size we would always try to take a chance and it resulted in one missing nav light from my wingtip when I tried to get mine out one day and a propeller park in the other guy's wing cuff when he tried it one day.

[oldtimer]

I worked for a company and we built our own hangar big enough to house a Navajo. It was an all wood building using conventional wood building techniques.
One area that was a thorne was the door. One cannot go much beyond 40 feet wide with any type of overhead door without some major engineering. The problem is building the structural door opening strong enough to support the weight of the door. Our solution was two lightweight 25 foot wide garage doors that rolled up on tracks and hung just below the rafters just like a household garage door. The problem is always the center support for the door opening tracks. Our solution was a large square steel post with latches above and pins below that could be unlatched and swung aside after the doors were raised. Even then, the building eventually settled and the doors and post had to be adjusted.
I have worked out of a hangar with a very wide bi-fold door and it was convenient but a maintenance hog. Usually a bi-fold can have a maximum height of 15 feet.
Sliding doors are a pain in the ass unless you spring for mega dollars for a professional installation. With a sliding door, the building structure does not have to support the weight of the door but the concrete structure the door tracks sit in has to be well engineered and the opening system can be a major engineering feat.
If you get a chance, look at the old WW2 hangars that were built in the 40's. Some of those sliding doors have stood the test of time. They are individual panels that hang from overhead structures. I will bet you can still locate some old abandoned hangars at old BCATP airports that could be bought for a song and recycled. Just a thought.

[SaskCessna]

Thanks for all the advice here. Looks like a 70' X 50' X 14' with a 55' door is going to be the design I'm going to go with. I made up little to scale models of planes as well as the hangar floor to see what size worked and I found it very useful.

What are people's thoughts on flooring. Concrete I believe is optimal for giving a nice finish but I will be getting a paving crew in to lay a thin overlay of asphalt on the existing concrete around the hangar and on my area of the apron. These guys could easily do the inside as well.

[Heliian]

Concrete is the way to go with a proper urethane coating and maybe some antislip beads in the coating.

Whatever you do, when it comes time to pour the floor, for the love of pete, but a proper grade and drains in the floor. One of the most overlooked things when building a hangar for sure. I've seen brand new million dollar facilities with all the acoutrements but you can't even wash the a/c without having pools of water all over the place and even one place that didn't even have drains in the floor. Something so simple to do while building but near impossible to do afterwards.

Our current facility has double overhead doors with a sliding post in the middle to accomodate larger a/c, probably the most common system you'll find. If you go with a bi-fold, make sure to take into account the rough opening height vs. the actual opening height of the door as they all hang a foot or two below the crossmember.

best of luck on your endeavors

[Beefitarian]

The problem with asphalt is when you park in the same spot often it will sink and you end up with dips where your tires go. Not a bad way to replace chocks but if you have to pull the plane out of them it's a bit of a bother.

[GyvAir]

What are people's thoughts on flooring. Concrete I believe is optimal for giving a nice finish but I will be getting a paving crew in to lay a thin overlay of asphalt on the existing concrete around the hangar and on my area of the apron. These guys could easily do the inside as well.

You're going to hate having asphalt inside a hangar. Picture dark, damp, dirty, all at once. I'd be really wary of a thin layer of asphalt over concrete outside as well. It's almost sure to be a crumbling mess in a very short time. Asphalt doesn't like being spread thin. Nor concrete, for that matter. Also, if the concrete underneath is a little dodgy to start with, the asphalt doesn't stand a chance.

[cgzro]

I'd suggest simply painting the floor with a really good epoxy. Drains of course and I'd also suggest there are plenty of plugs around the walls. I'd also run shop air around the walls too. I think i'd also install a web cam or two for inside and outside security and remote ways to turn on and off the heat and pre-heat for aircraft parked in the hanger. Support for some kind of overhead block and tackle or electric winch is not a bad idea as it allows you to remove engines, lift planes onto floats etc more easily.

A suspended office in one corner is nice too, high enough off the ground so that you don't loose floor space and perhaps a spiral stair case so you minimize wasted space.

I'd definitely not skimp on the insulation, the heating costs are going to be your major yearly expense so you may as well invest early in proper insulation. If the hanger is tall you probably need fans to blow the hot air back down again, otherwise its just gonna all go to the ceiling.

Fun project.

[Dash-Ate]

WWHD? (What would Hedley do).

[sstocker31]

If I could suggest one thing.....in floor heat

[GyvAir]

...in floor heat.

It does have some advantages. Quick recovery after opening the door, for one. Uncomfortably hot on the feet if you're on it all day though.
Having worked in hangars with everything from woodstoves, in-floor, forced air, radiant to sweet bugger all, I'd pick well placed radiant heaters if I was to build my own fantasy hangar. If money was no object and comfort absolute paramount, maybe in-floor and radiant together. As I said though.. fantasy.
While we've got the imaginary wallet out, don't forget to spend at least twice what you think you need to on lighting.

[MUSKEG]

Having built a hanger 70 X 60 with a bifold door 60 X 16. A few things I learned. The door will almost always be you're limiter. Stay away from a slider unless its powered or you will learn to curse like a sailor. I would go at least a couple feet higher to facilitate the tail of a twin. If not for your use then for future resale. If you want an office, build it on the outside. Save your floor space for aircraft. NO asphalt inside for reasons already mentioned. There are many great bifold doors on the market now and if you go with the strap instead of cable lift its quiet, and almost maintenance free. I have cable and after 15 years zero issues. If you want good lighting go with fluorescent T5. Floor heat is very costly compared to radiant tube and requires more maintenance. Put in a vehicle door in one corner. Money well spent. NO man door in the big door. Man door should be close to vehicle door. Swing man door into the hanger incase of a frost heave making it impossible to open. Ask me how i know. Shallow grade away from hanger out front unless you like to grunt on the push in. On second thought I will just sell you mine.