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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1090.PDF
686 Ground-floor plan of the proposed pentagonal hangar, showing ar- rangement of principal services. Enlargement for bigger aircraft would involve, as the major item, only the comparatively Inexpensive extension of the outer parts of each sector. FLIGHT, 8 /**« 1950 VCRHEAD TRANSPORTER ESIGN for a RADIAL HANGAR • HANGAR "bRA»N ACE , USED OIL O STORAGE A Five-bay Layout to Assist Aircraft Maintenance : Provision for Low-cost Enlargement THE development of commercial aircraft has been anoutstanding example of twentieth-century " design fora function." Design has been steadily advanced by research and operational experience, yet it is true to say that the buildings in which aircraft are housed and main- tained have, with rare exceptions, been notable only for their size. The success of an airline depends only in part on aircraft efficiency. Readers of Flight hardly need reminding that a major item of operational expense is maintenance; that low maintenance costs are therefore essential; and that, since the capital value of an airliner is so great and its effective life comparatively short, every minute saved on the ground is invaluable. Designed by Mr. J. G. Hunnex, an aircraft engineer, in association with Mr. Goodwin Law, B.A., A.R.I.C.S., M.T.P.I., a chartered surveyor, the radial hangar illus- trated on this page is designed to secure economical and rapid maintenance by the integration of the servicing staff and the equipment they use. Even before the war the radial principle was applied to the passenger terminal buildings—Gatwick Airport is an example—but as far as we are aware it has never been tried in the planning of hangars. The essence of the layout, according to the designer's description, is that five aircraft bays surround a central stores on two floors, above which is the chief engineer's con- trol centre, with windows into each bay. If, at some subse- quent date, the operators acquire larger-span aircraft, it is a comparatively simple matter to extend the division walls further outward. Though the specification does not mention the fact, it would also, clearly, be necessary to add leaves to the folding doors and to add to the roof-span, while the strategically sited oil-drains and overhead con- veyor would have to be moved; even so, such measures should be less costly than the extensive enlargement, or even complete rebuilding, that would be demanded by an orthodox design. A canteen and lavatories to cater for the whole staff occupy a small bay. There is a hoist connecting the two floors of the stores, from which there is access to specialist workshops (electrician, tinsmith, etc.) above the canteen. Vehicles delivering engines, compo- -••-••."•.:"- nents and other stores The design in two elevations, shown to a slightly larger scale than the plan. INSPECTION * STORES RECORD UPHOLSTEKR n r ELEVATION enter a loading bay, linked with the bays by an overhead transporter passing above the aircraft engine nacelles. This plan, rlaimg the designer, offers consider- able practical advan- tages. The workers in all five bays can be seen from the control centre by one chief engineer and one chief storekeeper; no existing hangar would allow as many as five large aircraft to be ser- viced under one control. The fullest use is made of operatives' time, since everything is on the spot and they do not need to
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