Storing/hangaring by Hoisting

[Rick of Austin]

Does anyone have any ideas or tried storing an RV by hoisting in the hanger? I am finishing a 40 x 40 hangar with a truss roof reinforced to give 2 beams about 10 feet apart the length of the roof. The plan is to be able to keep an extra plane by hoisting one up about 10 feet. Am imagining an 8 x 10 foot long platform made of welded square steel tube with a pulley at each corner. Four pulleys on the ceiling that can each take about 500 pounds w/ 1/8 cables leading to a small electric winch.
back the plane in, lower the platorm and roll the plane nose first onto the platform, chock, thenpush the button.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Rick

[frankh]

When you consider that even the most lightly constructed roof has a snow load of 20 lbs per sq foot, that adds up to a LOT of RV carrying capacity....Of course you will be getting a permit for this roof modification won't you...Unless you live in Georgia, they don't seem to need them down there from what I saw...

But seriously structurally its pretty easy, but your going to need to prove the design works by calculation to do it easily, and unless your hangar is part of your own property that likely means a stamped drawing from a structural Professional Engineer....At least thats how the law is written in Oregon.

Frank

[G-force]

Defintaly check out local building codes, most often items such overhead gantry framds and winches require permits if mounted to the structure.

[szicree]

Have you checked these guys out?

http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/what-new.htm#aero

[swisseagle]

Hello all.

Here in switzerland it is very common to hang up an airplane in the hangar. Hangarspace is very expensive and nearly not available (you have to be on waitinglists up to 20 years!!!). So every space is used.









The stainlessteel-thounge is attached with the same screw that hold the brake to the gearleg.
The back of the fuselage is supportet by an wide belt.

All this is connected to an steelbar which hangs on a electric winch. The winch itself is on a slider, so it is possible to take it to the front area of the hangar to let them down. Yo do not need to took all other planes out to go flying!

Works very good, especially when you have to do things on the bottomside of the plane Checking gears, breaks ...

The pictures are from my friend Yvar, the first flying RV7 in Switzerland!

Hope it helps,

Regards Dominik

PS: I hope to find an also clean solution for my RV-7A ... I'm still thinking about!

[pierre smith]

Dominik,
A very good solution indeed! Nice. The most wasted space in any hangar/large building is up in the corners where the walls meet the roof. Many of my crop-dusting buddies have apartments there for their seasonal pilots to stay in and also have fish-fries, etc. Parts areas and bathroom facilities are beneath them.

Regards,

[Rick of Austin]

Thank you Dominik for the pics of how they do it overseas.
The frame and attachments to the axels do seem like the most elegant solution, especially for taildraggers. With the nosewheelers attachments points arent quite as obvious...
Was even thinking of using the steps and an attachment to the engine mount somehow but in the end I will probably build a lightweight platform.
Thanks again, glad to see you guys have it figured out.
Rick