Living in an airport community is a dream shared by many pilots. It's a unique life style that few ever get to experience. The homes in such communities are called hangar homes. Their design is unique and if you're looking to do it you should hire a professional designer experienced in that type of design. Here is a checklist of several considerations to keep in mind when considering designing a hangar home.
1.As in most residential developments usually there are the restrictions. These restrictions can govern the size of the home, the size of the hangars, architectural factors such as whether or not the hangar must blend in with home, taxiway clearance issues and the like. As with any design it is important to become familiar with these covenants prior to beginning any design.
2.Hangar home sites vary in size. You'll find very large sites where placement is not much of an issue, and you'll find smaller ones where you need to know the setbacks. Slope of the site is also an important factor. Generally on sloped sites, it is best to place the hangar on the low side and the home on the high side of the site. This can add harmony and balance to the combination of the hangar and the home.
3.Hangar size is also something to consider. There is an important distinction between hangars that are up to 2000 square feet and those that are larger. In most codes which govern hangar homes in the United States hangars up to and including 2000 square feet can be built with less restricting standards than larger hangars. Larger hangars usually require more commercial-like code standards. When deciding on the size of your hangar you should keep that in mind. However the function of the hangar is, of course, tantamount. If you intend to have several aircraft then having a size greater than 2000 ft. might be required. See below for other uses of hangars which can affect the required size.
4. Another common point to consider is whether or not to connect the hangar in the home. Connecting or not connecting each has its advantages and disadvantages. Connecting the hangar to the home is considered by most pilots to be quite advantageous. It allows one to stay out of the weather. It makes for some very interesting architecture. But if you're looking to build projects then you need to consider the impact made by these projects such as sounds and smells which you may not want to enter into the home. In such instances building the hangar and home separately may be the way to go.
5.One should consider how the hangar is going to be used in addition to storing the airplane. Do you want a workshop? Do you want to park your cars in the hangar or do you want to have them in a separate garage? Will you be storing other toys in the hangar such as boats or even a motorhome? Regarding a motorhome height can be an important issue. The height of a motorhome, as well as an airplane, can determine how high you want the ceiling of your hangar to be. Most consider a ceiling height of 12 feet above the floor to be absolute minimum. More commonly is 13 to 14 feet tall. If you intend to place a motorhome in the hangar keep in mind that modern motorhomes, with their air conditioners, can often exceed 13 feet in height. This, obviously, will require your door to be at least 13 feet in height. Also will you want your motorhome to use a separate door from the hangar door or have the motorhome come in and out the same door? All these are factors that should be considered.
6.Determining what type of hangar door you'll want to use is also important. There are basically three common types: hydraulic doors, accordion doors and bifold doors. Hydraulic doors are usually hinged at the top and open as one large slab. These are generally opened by large hydraulic jacks which one actuates with a pump. Probably more common than hydraulic doors are bifold doors. These are generally hinged in the center and at the top and split into two sections: an upper section and a lower section. They are raised with belts or chains and will break at the center and act as a bifold which folds upward. Accordion doors are less common but are preferred by many. These sit on a track and are stabilized at the top and one of their big advantages is that one can open these doors without the need of an electrical connection.
7.The structure over the hangar door is an important consideration. Hangar doors are usually quite wide varying from a minimum of 40 feet on up to greater than 55 feet wide. The header or beam spanning across the top of the door needs to be considered structurally. One way to handle this is by placing a steel I-beam across the door which will hold the weight of the roof. There are several disadvantages to this including higher construction costs due to the steel fabrication issues. Another disadvantage is that the beam bottom will usually fall well below the ceiling of the hangar causing the hangar door to be shorter than the ceiling height. Another, perhaps better, way to handle this is to use some sort of a gable roof or a modified gable roof over the hangar door. This allows the truss system of the roof to act as its own beam. Often the truss that spans over the door is a multi-ply truss and its bottom can be even with the ceiling height of the hangar. This allows the door to be higher and nearly the same height as the ceiling of the hangar. When designing the hangar discuss this aspect 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 keep fuel in a fuel tank that you will keep inside your hangar? Perhaps there is fuel on the property that is maintained by the Association; this can be an excellent way when available. Of course, one can always fly out for fuel and this is workable most of the time but it does require careful organization of one's flights and fuel stops.
There are, of course, many other details to consider. Hangar home design is different than the design of regular homes. If you're searching the Internet looking for plans you will undoubtedly be frustrated. If you're considering investing into a hangar home and having one build it is, hands down, advisable to hire a designer to create a custom design for you. Due to the unique aspects of hangar homes design it is best to deal with somebody who has had ample experience in this field. Ideally your designer will live in a hangar home his or herself and be able to gain from personal insight and that of close neighbors. If you decide to design and build a hangar home you are in for one of the most fulfilling and thrilling adventures of your life.
1.As in most residential developments usually there are the restrictions. These restrictions can govern the size of the home, the size of the hangars, architectural factors such as whether or not the hangar must blend in with home, taxiway clearance issues and the like. As with any design it is important to become familiar with these covenants prior to beginning any design.
2.Hangar home sites vary in size. You'll find very large sites where placement is not much of an issue, and you'll find smaller ones where you need to know the setbacks. Slope of the site is also an important factor. Generally on sloped sites, it is best to place the hangar on the low side and the home on the high side of the site. This can add harmony and balance to the combination of the hangar and the home.
3.Hangar size is also something to consider. There is an important distinction between hangars that are up to 2000 square feet and those that are larger. In most codes which govern hangar homes in the United States hangars up to and including 2000 square feet can be built with less restricting standards than larger hangars. Larger hangars usually require more commercial-like code standards. When deciding on the size of your hangar you should keep that in mind. However the function of the hangar is, of course, tantamount. If you intend to have several aircraft then having a size greater than 2000 ft. might be required. See below for other uses of hangars which can affect the required size.
4. Another common point to consider is whether or not to connect the hangar in the home. Connecting or not connecting each has its advantages and disadvantages. Connecting the hangar to the home is considered by most pilots to be quite advantageous. It allows one to stay out of the weather. It makes for some very interesting architecture. But if you're looking to build projects then you need to consider the impact made by these projects such as sounds and smells which you may not want to enter into the home. In such instances building the hangar and home separately may be the way to go.
5.One should consider how the hangar is going to be used in addition to storing the airplane. Do you want a workshop? Do you want to park your cars in the hangar or do you want to have them in a separate garage? Will you be storing other toys in the hangar such as boats or even a motorhome? Regarding a motorhome height can be an important issue. The height of a motorhome, as well as an airplane, can determine how high you want the ceiling of your hangar to be. Most consider a ceiling height of 12 feet above the floor to be absolute minimum. More commonly is 13 to 14 feet tall. If you intend to place a motorhome in the hangar keep in mind that modern motorhomes, with their air conditioners, can often exceed 13 feet in height. This, obviously, will require your door to be at least 13 feet in height. Also will you want your motorhome to use a separate door from the hangar door or have the motorhome come in and out the same door? All these are factors that should be considered.
6.Determining what type of hangar door you'll want to use is also important. There are basically three common types: hydraulic doors, accordion doors and bifold doors. Hydraulic doors are usually hinged at the top and open as one large slab. These are generally opened by large hydraulic jacks which one actuates with a pump. Probably more common than hydraulic doors are bifold doors. These are generally hinged in the center and at the top and split into two sections: an upper section and a lower section. They are raised with belts or chains and will break at the center and act as a bifold which folds upward. Accordion doors are less common but are preferred by many. These sit on a track and are stabilized at the top and one of their big advantages is that one can open these doors without the need of an electrical connection.
7.The structure over the hangar door is an important consideration. Hangar doors are usually quite wide varying from a minimum of 40 feet on up to greater than 55 feet wide. The header or beam spanning across the top of the door needs to be considered structurally. One way to handle this is by placing a steel I-beam across the door which will hold the weight of the roof. There are several disadvantages to this including higher construction costs due to the steel fabrication issues. Another disadvantage is that the beam bottom will usually fall well below the ceiling of the hangar causing the hangar door to be shorter than the ceiling height. Another, perhaps better, way to handle this is to use some sort of a gable roof or a modified gable roof over the hangar door. This allows the truss system of the roof to act as its own beam. Often the truss that spans over the door is a multi-ply truss and its bottom can be even with the ceiling height of the hangar. This allows the door to be higher and nearly the same height as the ceiling of the hangar. When designing the hangar discuss this aspect 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 keep fuel in a fuel tank that you will keep inside your hangar? Perhaps there is fuel on the property that is maintained by the Association; this can be an excellent way when available. Of course, one can always fly out for fuel and this is workable most of the time but it does require careful organization of one's flights and fuel stops.
There are, of course, many other details to consider. Hangar home design is different than the design of regular homes. If you're searching the Internet looking for plans you will undoubtedly be frustrated. If you're considering investing into a hangar home and having one build it is, hands down, advisable to hire a designer to create a custom design for you. Due to the unique aspects of hangar homes design it is best to deal with somebody who has had ample experience in this field. Ideally your designer will live in a hangar home his or herself and be able to gain from personal insight and that of close neighbors. If you decide to design and build a hangar home you are in for one of the most fulfilling and thrilling adventures of your life.
About the Author:
Ken Risley, the Engineer Designer, is an award winning designer with emphasis in Hangar Home Design. He can help you turn your residential design dream into reality.
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