Source for hangar plans?

[John Sowles]

When I complete restoration on N36205, I'd like to protect it in a hangar. Can someone suggest plans for a small affordable DIY 40x30 hangar? Thanks.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

Slickest stand alone hangar I saw was made from used SeaTrans trailers. When the hold downs start to corrode they aren't certified for at sea transport and are scrapped. They should be good for decades on land with a good coat of Rustolium (which the distributor will GIVE you, if you will take the really disgusting screwed up color mixes from them). The one I saw used several trailers set apart enough to be the walls and back (with workshops, the doors face to the inside). A truss roof spanned the trailers and doors were hung from the front. A REALLY SLICK hangar for next to nothing with steel walls and built in workshops and storage.
Hank

They are stored around here by the hundreds to be scrapped for the steel. Of course I live next to the Chesapeake bay where they inspect them.

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

Another use around here is fire department training towers. We have also set them up as a training village (think middle east here) for Blackwater. They are plentiful and cheap. Larry

[jim cooper]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

Our airport hangars were built 90 percent from old buildings not wanted anymore by the govt. at aberdeen proving grounds. (This was many years ago.) The trusses, etc. were loaded on farm trucks and hauled 20 miles to airport (originally a dairy farm) Hanks idea of old sea containers is EXCELLENT! They are sturdy and should last forever. They are CHEAP and many are sold by people specializing in used ones. They will even paint em for you for a nominal fee. If you have a little bread, then consider Morton Buildings. They will put up a pole barn QUICK! They are excellent. JC

[Carrieve]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

I am trying to beat the winter snow with a 42 x 40 pole building. It is fairly easy to put up with 10' walls. Without the front door I got a price of less than 10 thousand. I am looking at the Cool-Air doors that slide down the interior walls. Living on a small teachers retirement doesn't allow for anything fancy. I hope to be putting steel up on the roof this week. Let me know and I can send pics and drawings.

[Pearson]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

A big factor in the cost of building something is the county you live in. Some counties have strict codes for snow, wind, and earth quake loads. Others don't care what you do if it is not for habitation. Find out what your county's attitude is toward this. Often they will have it on a website.

If your county specifies certain codes for load limits, you can still do your own building. But they will want plans approved by a certified engineer. Sometime you can buy just plans from some of the pole barn companies or a freelance engineer. Often you can buy a kit, where you do the labor. The kit includes the plans which are engineered according to your county's codes. This time of year they are making really good deals. Next spring will be a different story.

Whatever you do, put down a good vapor barrier before you poor a concrete floor. And invest in a vapor barrier for the roof.

[mulwyk]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

John:There's a book called "Build your own Low-Cost Hangar" by Joe Christy that has plans for simple T-Hangars for DIY types. It comes up on eBay and Amazon from time to time. If you can't find it send me your mailing address on the private message function and you can use my copy.
Also, Strat-O-Span sells hangar kits (link). They have a 40X30X10 hangar kit for $6904 not including the door.

Carrieve:What's with these crazy people, like you on your little public pension, who think they can engage in this rich man's hobby? (OK, I'm a retired teacher, too, so I can say that. Actually, I think you're smart to admit your financial limits, if we had more like you we wouldn't be in the current economic mess.)

I'm looking at building a hangar come spring. Cost IS a factor. Can you post some photos of your hangar project here?

[Carrieve]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

Yes by all means I will post some pics. I am going out tomorrow to finish the framing for the roof steel and I think it is suppose to be in the high 40's. We have to build a little heavy up here per zoning requirments and that fact that in northern Wisconsin we get tons of snow off of good old Lake Superior. (Only 12 miles south of the shore)

[John Sowles]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

Thanks everybody. Some great advice. I've priced out some used containers (~$2k ea.) and ordered Cristy's book on low cost hangars from Amazon ($0.71). If anyone has a photo of the shipping container hangar, I could get a better idea of it. Sounds very practical. Thanks again.
John

[Pearson]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

http://www.parkerbuildings.com/AD0294.htm

[asq]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

If you want to put forth a bit of work, you can do it pretty cheap. I have a pole barn 32 X42.
I scrounged old power poles from the power co,free. Dug holes. Free Bought rough sawn hemlock from a local Mennonite mill. About 50 cents /bd ft. ( that is about $6 for a piece of 2" X 6" X 12' long) Go to your county seat and talk with your Cooperative Extension Agent. They can find you plans for the building you want. They gave me a drawing for an approved 42' truss for my hangar. I built them myself,but when I did a recent extension on the back I found I could buy them about as cheap as I could build them. I covered it with painted galvanized metal(from a local Mennonite metal roofing dealer). The door I built from a set of plans purchased from "The Ultimate Door" co. Don't know how to add a photo to this, I am a lowly teacher.Send me your address and I will email you a pic. Larry

[mulwyk]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

Larry:
Posting pictures: click on "post Reply" NOT "quick Reply"

Scroll down to "Manage Attachments" click that

click on "Browse", a box will pop up with a list of places on your computer that might have the picture. I keep my pictures in the "MY Pictures" bin but some folks keep them in "Documents" or on the camera card. Anyway, find the picture you want to post, highlight it and then click "Open"

Then go back to that Browse area again and click "UpLoad"

If your computer is as slow as mine you can now go get a cup of coffee and a magazine while the computer uploads your picture. When it's finally done you can click "Close this Window" which will return you to the reply posting area. Click "Submit Reply" and that should do it.

Simple, huh? Don'tch just love computers?

And if that doesn't work email me at [email protected]

[Doc]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

My 50' x 60' working hangar was basically a welded up pole-barn type made out of used oil field pipe (benefit of being in South Texas) on 20' centers. Uprights went 6' into the ground, and pipe trusses were jigged on the ground for welding and hoisted up. Open door clearance is 10'. Purlin and rafter clips were hand fabricated with a chop saw out of angle iron. C-purlin was also used for the rafters. R-panels for the walls and corrugated sheet for the roof came from a metal building supplier (Mueller). I poured the concrete floor after construction (due to finances). I retrofitted a bi-fold door with an electrical hoist arrangement, but many here lay track (angle set in concrete strips) for sliding doors made out of square tubes (I didn't have side clearance as I built up to the property setbacks). I purchased a Lincoln 8KW 20HP welder and hired a local welder to help me on the weekends. I still have the welder and can use it as an emergency power supply. I did not need a permit at the time as the airport was in an unincorporated area...this has changed. Total cost 10 years ago was $29K...obviously materials have gone up. The pole barn is a great way to go for a solid building. Doc

[Acroeric]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

The "S" Series Quanset Hut buildings are really nice and fairly reasonable as well although kind of ugly. Im beginning to plan for my hangar on my airstrip- kind of leaning towards a pole barn. . . .if I build it it is likely to be leaning

[mulwyk]

Re: Source for hangar plans?

The quanset type building really is the way to go for low cost and ease of setup. Unfortunetely the little airport I'm looking at wants to have all the hangars of the same type and the ones that are there now are all truss type pole barns.

In the strange story department: the guy who owns the land next to this airport thought he could avoid airport lease costs by building a hanger right next to airport, but on his land. He built a very nice pole barn type hanger just 50 yards off the taxiway and actually used it for several years. But then, you know how this is gonna end, after 9-11 the city built a huge fence all the way around the airport, including right across the front of this poor guys hangar door. He tried to get the city to annex his hangar land, or put a little jog in the fence, but the city wouldn't budge. Much bitterness followed. Now there's an abandoned hangar sitting in a corn field next to this airport.

My question: I was talking to one of the glider club guys (they are based at this airport) about my hangar plans. He suggested that I buy the abandoned hanger in the corn field and move it onto the airport. Is that a practical idea? Has anyone moved a pole barn? Or seem one moved? I suppose I could take it apart and move the pieces. How hard is it to take a pole barn apart?