Form will so often follow function even with modular buildings, and the right aircraft hangar buildings for your business or organisation will differ depending on the needs of your fleet.
A hangar designed for an airship such as the two at Cardington will be of a very different size and shape than, for example, a hangar designed for a jumbo jet, a microlight or a helicopter.
A helicopter has very different needs to other types of aircraft, and because of this, a helicopter hangar will necessarily require a different shape and accompanying equipment to an equivalent aeroplane.
Here are some of the key differences between the two.
Height Requirements
Whilst aeroplanes are necessarily constructed to be relatively low and wide, many helicopters are constructed to have tall, narrow bodies save for the rotors themselves.
This means that the height of the roof and hangar door will necessarily need to be taller than they would be for a light aircraft, something that could be pivotal if a temporary structure is set up.
Many aircraft hangars are set up with this in mind, but it is important to be mindful of height considerations to avoid potential damage to the rotor mechanism.
Differently Shaped Space
Hangars need to have enough space for engineers, technicians and ground crew to work around them, but the exact space requirements will differ depending on the shape of the aircraft.
Typically, aeroplanes, particularly large ones, will tend to be relatively wide but also somewhat shallow in order to accommodate the significant wingspans of most aircraft.
This can vary significantly, as historic designs for hangars will show, but most hangars designed with aeroplanes in mind will be designed so there is enough space to work around the wings safely.
By contrast, helicopters tend to require a taller, more cube-shaped space, so that any part of the rotors or the central body can be taken care of.
Transport Storage Requirements
Unlike other forms of aircraft, which can taxi themselves from the hangar to the airstrip or runway, helicopters typically cannot take off by themselves unless the hangar has a retracting roof, which means that some form of towing vehicle or tug is required.
This can sometimes be necessary or easier for certain types of other aircraft, but as helicopters need extra transport, they also need storage space for any towing vehicle, alongside other monitoring and attachment equipment.
Greater Maintenance Requirements
Helicopters tend to be more complex and more expensive to both buy and maintain than conventional aircraft because there are a lot of mechanisms that need to be checked and maintained every single flight.
Aside from storage space for the tug to say until it is needed for operation, equipment is needed to inspect, repair and replace rotor blades, computer equipment and power facilities are needed to check the electronic systems, and the engine, transmission and gyroscope need to be regularly maintained.
This means that a lot of specialist tools are needed and should ideally be stored close to the helicopter to make them easier to access when required.
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