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.Most airport communities are developed neighborhoods with their own covenants. These covenants will cover architectural styles, home sizes and, in the case of airport communities, hangar sizes, rules for blending the hangar with the home, space considerations to accommodate the wings of the aircraft that are Taxing nearby and the like. As with any design it is important to become familiar with these deed restrictions.
2.If you're looking at owning a large airport community lot setbacks are usually not a factor. However the smaller sites where the edges are close together will require a close understanding of the setbacks required. Lots are sometimes flat and sometimes have slopes to them. If your site has a slope it is usually best to place the hangar on the lower area of the slope and the home on the upper regions of the slope. This allows the architecture of the hangar and home to blend nicely. There are always exceptions but these are common considerations.
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.You'll have to make a decision whether or not to connect the hangar to the home or to build it separately from the home. There are several considerations. Hangars that are connected to the home tend to be slightly cheaper to build, and are considered quite desirable by many pilots. An advantage, of course, is to be able to avoid the weather and walk straight from the house into the hangar to see your airplane. If you intend, however, to build projects in your hangar then separating it from the house may be the most desirable. Building projects often create sounds and smells which are best separated from the house. There are also architectural factors that come into play when connecting a hangar in a home and these, too, should be considered. Hiring an experienced hangar home designer will make this easy.
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.What kind of a beam one is going to have over the hangar door is an important factor. Hangar doors are, typically, well over 40 feet wide and often as wide as 50 to 55 feet. Spanning that distance over the top of the door can become a structural problem. One way to solve it is to place a steel I-beam over the door and let the I-beam support the weight of the roof over the hangar. This can be cumbersome in the fact that the beam will have to generally extend down into the space of the hangar thereby requiring the ceiling of the hangar to be significantly higher than the top of the door. An excellent way to handle this, is to use a gable or a modified gable crossing over the opening. With a properly designed roof a gable truss, generally several plys, can be placed over the hangar door and act as a beam and a major advantage of this is that the bottom of this beam does not protrude below the ceiling level of the hangar. In this instance the hangar door can be pressed more closely to the ceiling and give one greater clearance for motorhomes or airplanes.
8.Another thing to consider is fuel. This usually does not affect the design of the hangar but it is something to consider ultimately. Fuel can be stored in the hangar in tanks usually about 500 gallons of fuel capacity. These are plugged in and have electric pumps and dials to indicate quantity of gas delivered and are very convenient in topping off the airplane before you leave for a trip. Some airport communities have their own fuel farm, this is likely less common but if your airport community has this asset it is probably the best. And, of course, you can plan on flying out to get gasoline at public airports. This is certainly workable but requires careful planning.
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.Most airport communities are developed neighborhoods with their own covenants. These covenants will cover architectural styles, home sizes and, in the case of airport communities, hangar sizes, rules for blending the hangar with the home, space considerations to accommodate the wings of the aircraft that are Taxing nearby and the like. As with any design it is important to become familiar with these deed restrictions.
2.If you're looking at owning a large airport community lot setbacks are usually not a factor. However the smaller sites where the edges are close together will require a close understanding of the setbacks required. Lots are sometimes flat and sometimes have slopes to them. If your site has a slope it is usually best to place the hangar on the lower area of the slope and the home on the upper regions of the slope. This allows the architecture of the hangar and home to blend nicely. There are always exceptions but these are common considerations.
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.You'll have to make a decision whether or not to connect the hangar to the home or to build it separately from the home. There are several considerations. Hangars that are connected to the home tend to be slightly cheaper to build, and are considered quite desirable by many pilots. An advantage, of course, is to be able to avoid the weather and walk straight from the house into the hangar to see your airplane. If you intend, however, to build projects in your hangar then separating it from the house may be the most desirable. Building projects often create sounds and smells which are best separated from the house. There are also architectural factors that come into play when connecting a hangar in a home and these, too, should be considered. Hiring an experienced hangar home designer will make this easy.
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.What kind of a beam one is going to have over the hangar door is an important factor. Hangar doors are, typically, well over 40 feet wide and often as wide as 50 to 55 feet. Spanning that distance over the top of the door can become a structural problem. One way to solve it is to place a steel I-beam over the door and let the I-beam support the weight of the roof over the hangar. This can be cumbersome in the fact that the beam will have to generally extend down into the space of the hangar thereby requiring the ceiling of the hangar to be significantly higher than the top of the door. An excellent way to handle this, is to use a gable or a modified gable crossing over the opening. With a properly designed roof a gable truss, generally several plys, can be placed over the hangar door and act as a beam and a major advantage of this is that the bottom of this beam does not protrude below the ceiling level of the hangar. In this instance the hangar door can be pressed more closely to the ceiling and give one greater clearance for motorhomes or airplanes.
8.Another thing to consider is fuel. This usually does not affect the design of the hangar but it is something to consider ultimately. Fuel can be stored in the hangar in tanks usually about 500 gallons of fuel capacity. These are plugged in and have electric pumps and dials to indicate quantity of gas delivered and are very convenient in topping off the airplane before you leave for a trip. Some airport communities have their own fuel farm, this is likely less common but if your airport community has this asset it is probably the best. And, of course, you can plan on flying out to get gasoline at public airports. This is certainly workable but requires careful planning.
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 expert in Hangar Home Design. He can help you turn your residential design dream into reality.
