Hangar

Hangar
Hangar.jpeg: created by NASA / derivative work: Malyszkz · Public domain · source
Name	Hangar
Building type	Aircraft storage

Hangar A hangar is a large building designed for housing and maintaining aircraft, helicopters, airships, and other aerial vehicles. Hangars serve as critical infrastructure for aviation operations at airports, airbases, seaports, and aerospace facilities, supporting activities from storage and maintenance to assembly and research. Historically linked to early aviation pioneers and institutions, hangars continue to evolve under influences from industrial firms, military services, and aerospace manufacturers.

History

Hangar development traces to early twentieth-century aviation pioneers and organizations such as the Wright brothers, Santos-Dumont, Royal Flying Corps, United States Army Air Service, and firms like Boeing and Airbus. Interwar expansion involved airship sheds for the Hindenburg and R101 programs, and hangars featured in strategic planning during World War I and World War II alongside bases like RAF Duxford, Pearl Harbor, RAF Biggin Hill, and Andrews Air Force Base. Cold War projects at Edwards Air Force Base, Area 51, Cape Canaveral, and facilities operated by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman required specialized hangars for jet and stealth programs. Postwar civil aviation growth driven by carriers such as Pan American World Airways, British Overseas Airways Corporation, Air France, and airport authorities at Heathrow Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport led to modern large-span hangars and integrated maintenance hubs.

Design and Construction

Structural designs draw on advances by engineers and firms including Isambard Kingdom Brunel-era ironwork, innovations from Gustave Eiffel, and twentieth-century developments by companies like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Foster + Partners. Materials include steel trusses, reinforced concrete, laminated timber, and tensile fabrics as used in projects by Shigeru Ban and Norman Foster. Door mechanisms range from sliding doors pioneered in industrial sheds to bi-fold and cantilever systems used on naval bases such as Naval Air Station Pensacola and NAS Miramar. Large clear spans employ techniques similar to those in stadiums like Wembley Stadium and assembly plants such as the Boeing Everett Factory. Environmental engineering firms and standards bodies such as ASHRAE influence insulation, ventilation, and climate control, while regulatory oversight involves agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration and International Civil Aviation Organization.

Types and Uses

Hangars vary from small general aviation shelters at Teterboro Airport and Farnborough Airport to heavy maintenance hangars at Dulles International Airport and carrier hangars aboard USS Nimitz-class carriers. Uses include line maintenance by airlines such as Delta Air Lines and Emirates, heavy maintenance performed by firms like Lufthansa Technik and ST Engineering, manufacturing support for Boeing and Airbus, and preservation for historic aircraft at museums like the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the Imperial War Museum Duxford. Specialized hangars accommodate experimental programs at X-Plane test programs, restoration projects by organizations like The Vintage Aviator Ltd., and operations for emergency response teams such as Federal Emergency Management Agency and Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

Facilities and Equipment

Typical facilities include maintenance bays, avionics workshops, paint shops, and storage areas integrated with systems from suppliers like Honeywell International, GE Aviation, and Rolls-Royce. Equipment encompasses overhead cranes similar to those in General Electric plants, jacks and docking systems used by Pratt & Whitney technicians, ground power units like those from TLD Group, and tooling conforming to standards from SAE International and ASTM International. Hangar support infrastructure interfaces with airport ground handling by companies such as Swissport International and fuel suppliers aligned with regulations from the International Air Transport Association and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Operations and Safety

Operational protocols are informed by incident investigations from organizations like the National Transportation Safety Board and guidance from Civil Aviation Authority agencies. Safety systems include fire suppression technology developed by firms such as Tyco International, hazardous materials handling consistent with Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, and security measures coordinated with agencies like Transportation Security Administration and MI5 at sensitive sites. Safety culture draws lessons from events including hangar fires, structural failures at historic facilities like Cardington Airship Sheds, and maintenance-related accidents examined in reports by bodies such as European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

Notable Hangars and Examples

Prominent examples encompass the massive assembly halls of the Boeing Everett Factory, the historic airship hangars at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, the Grade I-listed sheds at Cardington, Bedfordshire, and the pioneering metal hangars at Croydon Airport. Military exemplars include facilities at RAF Marham, Nellis Air Force Base, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, and depots supporting squadrons like No. 617 Squadron RAF. Civil and museum hangars appear at Seattle Museum of Flight, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, and Farnborough Air Sciences Trust. Innovative structures by architects such as Sir Norman Foster and engineers associated with Arup Group showcase modern lightweight and sustainable hangar designs.

Category:Aviation infrastructure