There are few lifestyles more unique than living in an airport community. Hangar design is a unique skill and is best handled by a professional designer with a lot of experience in the field. In this article we will cover some specific points that you will value as suggestions to consider.
1. As with most residential developments, there are generally restrictions. These restrictions can govern the size of the home, the size of the hangars, architectural factors such as whether or not the hangar should be integrated with the home, taxiway clearance issues, and the like. As with any design, it is important to familiarize yourself with these conventions before beginning any design.
2. Because batch sizes vary from large to small, mishaps can be a problem. Another factor is whether the site is level or sloped. Sloped sites are quite viable, but present unique challenges that need to be considered. Generally, in sloped lots, the hangars are placed in the lower section and the house in the upper section, allowing the house and hangar to blend in well with each other.
3. A key issue is to consider the size of the hangar. The first thing to consider is the 2000 square foot question. Most codes in the United States differentiate between hangars less than 2000 feet. and those that are larger. Generally, business codes apply to larger hangars, so easier residential codes will apply to smaller hangars. This can affect the price.
4. Another common point to consider is whether or not to connect the hangar in the house. Connecting or not connecting each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Most pilots find that connecting the hangar to the house is quite advantageous. It allows one to stay out of the weather. It has a very interesting architecture. But if you are looking to build projects, you need to consider the impact these projects cause, such as sounds and smells that you may not want to enter the house. In such cases, building the hangar and house separately may be the way to go.
5. How do you plan to use your hangar? Obviously, one intends to put an aircraft in the hangars, but many people also use the hangars for other functions. Hangars often become storage containers. Like everything else, this can be controlled. But common uses for hangars include workshops, boat storage, car storage, especially if you don’t want to build a detached garage and store motorhomes. With regards to motorhomes, modern motorhomes are generally more than 13 feet above the ground when considering their air conditioning. That and the height of your plane may be the determining factors of your hangar ceiling height. These also affect the height of the door. When considering your hangar, be sure to predict, as best as possible, its end uses.
6. Another important decision is determining what type of door you want. Hangar doors basically come in three types: hydraulic, accordion, and hinged. There may be others, but those are the most common. Hydraulic doors are generally hinged at the top and open as a single slab and in open positions act as a separate roof protecting the area just outside the hangar. They are usually expensive, but they are very popular. Another common door is the folding door. Folding hangar doors typically have horizontal hinges, usually only one horizontally in the center. They are raised with belts or chains and tend to rise from the bottom up. Accordion doors are less common but extremely practical. They require a track on both the top and bottom and can be simply pushed to the side to open up the gap. An advantage of accordion doors is that they do not require electricity to function. Viewing various types of doors is a good idea so that you can make an informed decision on which type of door to select.
7. The structure above the hangar door is an important consideration. Hangar doors are typically quite wide, ranging from a minimum of 40 feet to over 55 feet wide. The lintel or beam running through the top of the door must be considered structurally. One way to handle this is by placing a steel I-beam through the door that will support the weight of the roof. This has several disadvantages, including higher construction costs due to steelmaking problems. Another downside is that the bottom of the beam will generally drop well below the hangar ceiling, making the hangar door shorter than the ceiling height. Another, perhaps better, way to handle this is to use some type of gable roof or a modified gable roof over the hangar door. This allows the roof truss system to act as its own beam. Often the truss that extends over the door is multi-layered truss and its underside can be at the height of the hangar ceiling. This allows the door to be taller and almost at the same height as the ceiling of the hangar. When designing the hangar, discuss this with the designer engineer who will work with you to determine the best solution.
8. Another thing to consider is fuel. Do you want to store fuel in a fuel tank that you will keep in your hangar? There may be fuel on the property that is maintained by the Association; this can be a great way when available. Of course, you can always fly for fuel and this is feasible most of the time, but it requires careful organization of flights and fuel stops.
These are just a few points to consider when designing your hangar home; there are many others. Due to the uniqueness of hangar home design, it is recommended that you choose a designer who has had extensive experience in hangar home design and who preferably lives and a hangar home in person. If you are looking for designs on the internet, you are likely to be frustrated. If you intend to invest in a hangar of houses to be built, it is best to find a designer who will design a custom plan just for you. Regardless of the type of design you end up building, your decision to design and build a hangar house will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting and satisfying actions you will take as a pilot.
