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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0747.PDF
APRIL 4, 1935. FLIGHT. 357 At Gravesend the buildings are concentrated in one place and ample space has been allowed for the erection of further hangars without encroaching on the landing area. A view from the interior of the Gravesend control room forms the heading of this article. (Flight photograph) carried out in the main area where there is plenty of room. Of the two principal forms of construction—steel and re inforced concrete—the former has the virtues of expand ability and mobility, while the latter is fireproof and, once erected, costs nothing in maintenance. A concrete hangar is, however, absolutely final, but, if the plans are well and truly laid, there is no reason why this should constitute a draw back. The concrete hangar at Heston, which will accom modate some thirty light aircraft, is built in bow form, and offices and showrooms are suspended from the roof, which, in the ordinary way, is so much waste space, for the height of the doorway is the effective height of the hangar itself. In fact, roof design is the key point of hangar construction. Not only has it to support itself, but it must also be designed to carry engine repair tackle. In the case of smaller hangars a simple trass arrangement is satisfactory, but for larger types the roof may be divided into smaller bays by lattice girders with trusses—a method which allows the use of a maximum amount of glazing in the roof itself. Types of Hangar Among the various systems the "Lamella" form of con struction, which consists of four standard pressed-steei units— the bar itself, the top and bottom purlins, and a pair of cover plates for each point of intersection—is well adapted to hangar design. The sections are quickly assembled and rigid enough to allow erection to proceed in cantilever fashion, while an y form of roof covering may be used. The units can be transported simply and the erection undertaken by unskilled labour. For larger buildings the most economical method of using this form of construction, which is manufactured under hcence by the Horseley Bridge and Thomas Piggott, Ltd., of Tipton, is in the form of an arch springing from foundations immediately above ground level, in which form spans of 250 ft. are practicable. Incidentally, a rail for crane work can be mounted centrally along the ridge. The structure is capable ?J being extended or moved, and an example can be seen at Heston airport. , Probably the best-known constructors of steel hangars are ooulton and Paul, Ltd., one of whose buildings—probably laving the largest clear span in the country—is also to be seen at Heston. The fact that such hangars are easily port able is proved by the way in which a number, originally- erected at Maylands for Hiilman's Airways, were removed and re-erected at Essex Airport, Stapleford Abbotts. "Monolithic" hangars are more popular on the Continent and in America. One of the interesting models shown in the Air Ministry exhibit at the Paris Show was that of the new hangar which has recently been completed by the Dumez Con struction Company, of Paris, for the French Naval Air Base situated at the Etang de Berre, near Marseilles. Of cement construction throughout, this building presents large un encumbered floor surfaces. It provides approximately 183,000 sq. ft. of floor surface. Two transverse fire walls, situated 227ft. apart, divide this floor space into three practically equal separate sections. Two French Designs Three large beams, each 16ft. 3m. in depth, nft. 4111. in width, and 682ft. 6in. in length, extend across the full width of the hangar. They are hollow, with walls 8in. thick, and are supported by Golumns placed 227ft. apart and located in the fire walls. One of these beams forms part of the front structure of the building, and constitutes the upper part of the doorway of each of the sections of the hangar. At present a winch, capable of raising 20 tons, is mounted inside each of the two large beams which span the repair section, which is also equipped with four travelling 4-ton cranes which, mounted on transverse beams, cover the entire depth of the hangar. The roof of the building, incidentally, is supported on trussed arches resting on these beams. Each of the sections is equipped with a sliding door of the full width of its frontal area. These doors are made of corru gated galvanised steel plates reinforced by steel stiffeners placed at short intervals apart. The doors are mounted on ball-bearing rollers, and are quickly run inside the hangar, alongside the fire wall partitions, by means of an electric motor. The most recently constructed of the hangars at Bron Air port, Lyons, presents some interesting features. The roof ^>f the building is supported by a large single beam which is mounted on a column located in the centre of the floor and extends across the entire width of the hangar. An unencum bered floor surface is thus presented a1: both ends of the
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