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Airplane shelter/Hangar solutions?

RickWoodall

RickWoodall

Well Known Member
Looking for some suggestions. Several of us at our airport need hangar space but due to municipal tax/lease issues, building a real steel hangar isnt going to be doable.

I have noticed Carport type shelters and fabric type domes in some pics here. Apparently if it is not covered on all four sides or is the heavy duty fabric it is much easier to install and cheaper tax wise. (it would be considered temporary, or just a shelter not a "building" as such).

Anyone have pics, suppliers, or suggestions for alternative shelters to building a full tin barn structure. We are flexible in that it can be a straight line of shallow covering or a larger square structure. Looked on line and there are various options...just wanted some pireps or suggestions from those that have seen them up close and might have good feedback.
 
Polytunnels

Check out polytunnels. There is a company in the UK that markets to the aircraft segment. They are cheap and you can move them if you have to.

I'm sure you can find a polytunnel supplier in the US who can make you something similar.

http://www.mcgregorpolytunnels.co.uk/aircraft

9d0117955028cd44f85b1449cfc3bdbe.jpg


- Note the post in the centre is a guide for the "roller blind" door & is removable for the aircraft to come out!
 
Check out their web site. Shelter Structures .com

The last one is Big Top. com
 
ANCHOR IT WELL

They are light and can blow over in a strong wind. I had one at home covering a boat. After a few years of on the job, along came a February wind, and lifted it over into the neighbor's yard!!
When we started picking it up and muscling it around, the fabric started giving way, presumably from oxidation and ultraviolet damage.
Luckly the thing entirely missed my boat, and to be honest, the boat was well protected for those few years. It only needed a couple hours of cleaning before we sold it. SO they do a good job of protecting your stuff.
 
If your county/city is limiting you by square footage, oftentimes you need a permit for anything over xxx square feet, yoy might think about building something like this, although our airport made them take these down.

P1000234.JPG
 
Home-made shelter design at EAA245 in Ottawa, Canada

I am posting the following on behalf of my friend Curtis that is doing a home-built airplane shelter project at EAA245. For further information on this please contact him at the email address indicated below. Thanks. /alfio
EAA245 (Ottawa) is doing a shelter project (currently in phase 2). Our shelter is made from 10 foot sections of 2 inch EMT tubing (electrical conduit). The photo shows a shelter designed for a Davis Da2B. The cover uses a very economical "Hay Tarp" that was specified at a design required tear strength. We were careful to select a tarp that actually provided a specification - most do not and can come from questionable sources. The tarp is around $150 so it is not too expensive when replaced if it weathers - we estimate we should get three to four years from a tarp. We thought about a full cover (to the ground) but bought an off the shelf tarp rather than custom order or use something of unknown specifications.
Our 24 long by 30 foot wide shelter goes up in about 2.5 hours and comes down in 27 minutes (with a semi trained team of four persons).

Phase 2 is actual weather testing over a Canadian Winter.

For more information contact Curtis Hillier EAA 245 [email protected]

​
EAA245Shelter.jpg
 
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Hay tarp

Thanks Alfio. I sent an email. That is the type of thing I am looking for. There are many horse farms etc that are using versions of that style of structure for indoor training and construction firms using them for equipement shelter. Just need to know what works, what doesnt. A structure cartwheeling down runways or hitting other aircraft would really not be well received.

I figured this site would give me some good ideas and save some of the research.

Cheers
 
Lycosaurus said:
I am posting the following on behalf of my friend Curtis that is doing a home-built airplane shelter project at EAA245. For further information on this please contact him at the email address indicated below. Thanks. /alfio
EAA245 (Ottawa) is doing a shelter project (currently in phase 2). Our shelter is made from 10 foot sections of 2 inch EMT tubing (electrical conduit). The photo shows a shelter designed for a Davis Da2B. The cover uses a very economical "Hay Tarp" that was specified at a design required tear strength. We were careful to select a tarp that actually provided a specification - most do not and can come from questionable sources. The tarp is around $150 so it is not too expensive when replaced if it weathers - we estimate we should get three to four years from a tarp. We thought about a full cover (to the ground) but bought an off the shelf tarp rather than custom order or use something of unknown specifications.
Our 24 long by 30 foot wide shelter goes up in about 2.5 hours and comes down in 27 minutes (with a semi trained team of four persons).

Phase 2 is actual weather testing over a Canadian Winter.

For more information contact Curtis Hillier EAA 245 [email protected]

​
EAA245Shelter.jpg
Click to expand...

This looks like one of the best idea I have ever seen. Thank you.
 
Info

The Plane Pocket solution was a no go. Looked kind of neat in the pics, but...it cant handle the snow falls we get, it doesnt cover the wings and they charge $12K each. No kidding. I wonder how their sales are doing??

The covered shelters with the 15 year heavy fabric and the winches and ratchets seem to be the best solution so far. Pricing is in the $5K range give or take.

Just figured someone on here would have bought or seen some of these around airports and might have some good feedback. What would be really nice would be a set up like REDBULL uses for their hangars when they move into town for the races. Very nice, just cant find a supplier of that type of thing. Still looking.
 
red bull hangar

RickWoodall said:
... What would be really nice would be a set up like REDBULL uses for their hangars when they move into town for the races. Very nice, just cant find a supplier of that type of thing. Still looking.
Click to expand...
Is the red bull hangar you are talking about this one?

CO0G5258.jpg


They are nice looking.
 
any of those farm related shelters ( my parents have one it is really very neat) are only secure from winds when they are anchored into the ground. I suppose this would make it much more difficult for a tarmac/ asphalt covered ground, although you can get large cement blocks to anchor to.

the shelter my parents have is from farmtek , it has rachets for holdowns and removable lower side panels
 
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