Hangars and doors

[jnmeade]

I have a 20W X 16H and a 40W X 14H Hi Fold. Performance has been very good. I had one gear seal go out but since that door is in a heated shop and is insulated, I replaced the oil with grease.

One main reason I went with Hi Fold is one doesn't lose any headroom, as one does with many other bi-fold doors. That is the reason for the extension legs.

Shipping can be a factor in final door price.

In snow country, I didn't like the idea of a hydraulic door having to swing out and thus have to clear snow away first. With the bi-fold, as long as the bottom seal isn't frozen down it lets one open the door and then broom the snow away as needed.

With any of these doors, one wants to consider the load bearing weight. By the time one adds windows, insulation and the metal sheeting the door may be rather heavier than one thinks and they have an engineered weight limit.

I installed the smaller door years ago with my 16 year old daughter's help using a farm tractor and loader bucket. The bigger one I installed this year and hired out because I'm older now, but it was just as easy and straightforward to get it plumb and true.

 

[bweez]

Hangar and doors

Living here in Florida I was required to have a door with specific wind rating capabilities. Sweiss made a Bi-fold door that met the local building requirements. I am very pleased with the results. Door height is 14 ft (fully opened)with a 40 foot opening on a 50x50 hangar. Their local representative is very responsive and a pleasure to work with. My only complaint is that I didnt order a service door. For resale purposes, the bigger you can go is the best way...

 

[James Crane]

A self supported hangar door, simple yet seamless in design. It has changed how hangar door manufacturers should think.

It?s designed with purpose, a clear objective, and the self supported design will benefit everybody from architect to you guys, the end users

http://www.hangardoors.aero/hangar-doors/higher-power-doors/

 

[Jaypratt]

Hanger

Ideal size is 70 wide. You can move, and store, two Cessna 180s without moving either one.
Get 24 foot sides, in case you decide to add a mezzinene
44 foot by-fold door. 14 foot clearance. Any Wider and they get a lot more expensive.
I have a Horton Stack door on my 85' x 60 hanger. The hanger is colder in the winter, and hotter in the summer. Than my 72'x 55' hanger with an insulated Hi-Fold, 42' door. Would not use Horton again. Would get Sweiss bi-fold with the yellow straps, if I was building today.

 

[OKAV8r]

I seem to remember an airport in Oklahoma that had a bunch of hangars with single panel swing up doors that were pivoted at the top, and had a shaft that extended out the to the side of the hangar with a big counter weight, kinda like the balance weights on a sheet metal brake. The doors opened and closed with one hand.
Anybody know the details on these? What kind of bearings, how much weight, what angle is the weight arm set at?

 

[rv7charlie]

I saw one at 'Cole Landing Area' Newcastle OK, a bit over 20 years ago. Built with 1 1/2" square steel tubing. Simple ladder trusses for the verticals, and IIRC, drill stem at the top (it's Oklahoma...). Drill stem extended past the eaves on each side, with drill stem uprights welded on and half a 60 gal barrel mounted on top. The uprights are vertical when the door is closed. Concrete in the barrels to exactly balance the door weight.

I copied the concept for the shop side of my hangar (30' wide) but used 6" aluminum irrigation tubing for the frame and Suntuf polycarbonate for the skin. Mine is a lean-to built on the side of the main hangar, so I couldn't use the 'goal post' style counter weights. Mine has the counterweight upright offset forward enough to clear the roof when the door opens. (Visualize the door on only 1/2 of a gable roof building.) A slight offset when closed can help keep the door shut, at least until you can pin it shut. High winds can open it if it isn't locked shut.

It's not rocket surgery to build one, if you live in a properly unregulated construction environment.

If you want more info, email or PM me your number & we can talk.

Charlie

[email protected]

 

[jbDC9]

I seem to remember an airport in Oklahoma that had a bunch of hangars with single panel swing up doors that were pivoted at the top, and had a shaft that extended out the to the side of the hangar with a big counter weight, kinda like the balance weights on a sheet metal brake. The doors opened and closed with one hand.

Looked a little something like this? These hangars are at Gloster airport west of Houston; counterweights are steel cages holding concrete blocks as weights. Easy to operate.

And since I started this thread 2 1/2 years ago, I might as well share the end result; I went with a Morton pole barn type hangar, 54' wide by 50' deep. Morton is pricey but they were great to work with and was basically one-stop shopping. I was planning on 60'x50', but the price began to escalate when they started engineering the structure for the door supports... so I had to rein it in a bit. The door is a Hi-Fold, 45' wide with 13' high opening. I like the door so far but am still tweaking it to get the auto latches to work properly. Now someday if I could just get the floor painted I'd be in business...

 

[PCHunt]

..........It's not rocket surgery to build one, if you live in a properly unregulated construction environment. ......... /QUOTE]

I love it! A new term: Rocket Surgery. Perfect!!

 

[PCHunt]

One man's opinion: Don't paint the floor. If you do, you will always want it to be clean. Somebody's gotta clean it, if you get my drift.

I've had both. Prefer concrete, and don't worry about the oil drips.

OTOH, if you decide to paint, my advice would be to NOT use any "sprinkle", or "confetti". With all those little spots on the floor, once you drop something small, say like a nut, screw, rivet, washer, etc., you will never find it again.

YMMV, FWIW, and to each his own...........