A hangar is a simple idea, a big open box with a big door, but the details are unforgiving. A few hundred millimetres too narrow and the aircraft doesn’t fit, and the door is the most demanding part of the whole structure. Here’s what to plan for.
Size it to the aircraft, plus room #
Start with the aircraft’s wingspan or rotor diameter, its length and its tail height, then add clearance on every side for safe towing and for walking around it. As a guide, a Cessna 172 has a wingspan of about 11 m, and a Robinson R44 helicopter has a main rotor about 10 m across. If you might upgrade, or share the hangar, size for the bigger aircraft.
Clear span is essential #
A post inside a hangar is a wingtip strike waiting to happen. Steel portal frames give a column-free floor. Steelspan designs clear spans up to 30 m. We’ve been involved with many hangars over the years, most recently an 18 m × 18 m hangar, 5 m high, with a fully opening 18 m front.
The door is the hard part #
The main door often spans most of the front of the building, which means the frame above it has to carry the roof across a very wide opening, and the door itself has to handle the wind. Common options are:
- Sliding or stacking doors, which run on tracks and stack to the sides
- Bi-fold or hydraulic doors, which lift up and out and also act as a shade canopy when open. They’re a very good door, but not a cheap one, so they make the most sense if you’ll be opening and closing them very regularly
- Large roller doors, for smaller openings
Each option needs a specific frame design, so choose the door type early. The door opening can be as wide as the building we design for your site. Sliding or stacking door systems can go to 30 m and beyond, and bi-fold doors to around 20 m or more. Wide doors can be a considerable share of the total building cost, so we’ll talk through your needs against your budget early, to work out what’s worthwhile.
The floor #
A smooth, level, well-drained concrete floor makes towing easy and keeps the aircraft clean. Plan the apron, too, and drainage that keeps water away from the door tracks.
Airport and aerodrome rules #
If the hangar is on an airport or airfield, check the airport operator’s or landlord’s requirements, lease conditions and any height limits near runways. The district plan may also have airport zone rules.
Fire and consent #
Hangars need building consent. Fuel, maintenance work and stored aircraft affect the fire design, so describe the real use, including whether you’ll do maintenance inside.
Lifestyle hangars #
Some lifestyle properties with airstrips combine a hangar with a workshop or vehicle storage. The same principles apply: size to the aircraft first, then add the rest.
Talk to Steelspan #
Send us the aircraft type and where it will be based, and we’ll design the hangar around it. Use our Easy Shed Quote or call 0800 787 726.
