Hangar is too full.... Time to hang an airplane

Tim Hancock · 05:38 AM

My hangar/shop has a 60' x 60' main room with 14' ceilings. I am sick of constantly having to re-arrange everything especially when I have to make room for the occasional customer airplane. My high wing Pacer is not so bad because I can park cars under the wings, but my mid wing 27' wingspan Minimax "ultralight" just eats up way too much floorspace. I finally took the plunge and came up with a plan to hang it from the ceiling.

My hangar is constructed with trusses on 4' centers and has a steel panel ceiling. I was unsure about how to proceed as I don't want to end up with a sagging structure, but I ended up using an old piece of 6" x 2" x 9' long channel iron to span across three lower 2" x 8" truss members near some diagonals and I then screwed some vertical 2" x 4" boards to both the channel, the upper/lower truss members and the diagonals they crossed. I then cut a hole in the ceiling to allow the hoist mount I made to be solidly bolted to the channel iron.

The electric hoist is rated at 440 lbs single line or 880 lbs with the included pully block. My airplane is just under 300 lbs but I will likely use the double line to have a slower line speed. I screwed around a bit tonight experimenting to figure out the best lifting points. I wil need to build some sort of spreader/sling gizmo to gently lift the airplane.

Any input from folks with experience with pole building trusses would be welcome as I do not want to cause any long term structural damage to my building. When I lifted it a few inches tonight it felt very solid and my guess is that the 400-450 max pounds including channel/hoist/airplane will be fine spread across the three trusses. It is about 12' from the wall on a 60' wide structure.

Parts fabbed and ready to haul up into the attic.

A view of my ****ty mess up stairs to get a feel for the type of truss construction.

Channel sitting on lower 2x8 truss members and screwed to newly installed verticals

3/16 wall 1 1/2" square hoist mount weldment bolted to vertical web of channel with two grade eight 3/8" bolts.

Test lift.... Nose heavy in this pic... will probably lift from sling here and a point 18 " forward lifting from landing gear center tube. Probably will build a four point spreader bar.

A930Rocket · 11-27-2011, 05:22 PM

I'm no engineer, but I'd be inclined to reinforce all the 2x joints that have the stamped metal plates with plywood and nails/screws.

944Larry · 944Larry's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

I'm no engineer, but I'd be inclined to reinforce all the 2x joints that have the stamped metal plates with plywood and nails/screws.

I agree, but I'd use bolts. Overengineering here is the word. If the roof should sag just a little. you've got a mess.

Hard-Deck · 11-27-2011, 06:15 PM

Tim, what city in Ohio do you live? I'd love to come and meet you and take a look.

Tim Hancock · 11-27-2011, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snapper33

Tim, what city in Ohio do you live? I'd love to come and meet you and take a look.

Near Toledo.

MotoSook · 11-27-2011, 06:55 PM

I would use bolts (1/4-3/8") at every point the vertical 2x4(?) are touching a truss. Just one at each member of the trusses would do. Evenly distributed between the three trusses, it would be like a couple of 200lbs Roofers standing on the roof.

Joeaksa · 11-27-2011, 07:07 PM

Good to see! We are thinking about the same thing once we get our hangar built!

Dantilla · 11-27-2011, 07:55 PM

I have only one airplane, but two hangars.

Normy · 11-27-2011, 08:07 PM

I suspect that the model airplane in the background is something that you fly at a certain flying field near the corner of Rauch and Minx roads in LaSalle Township, Michigan.

I was a member of that club; I grew up in Temperance.

N

Jim Bremner · 11-27-2011, 08:14 PM

I have a son that lives out your way!

If I send him by will you give him an autographed picture of you?

Hard-Deck · 11-28-2011, 02:48 AM

Darn! Just a little far for an evening visit; I'm in Columbus. I would like to visit when I'm in your neck-of-the-woods.

I showed your thread to an engineer. He said that generally spreading the load, over engineering and definately reinforce the stamped plates.

Quote:

Quote de Snapper33

Tim, what city in Ohio do you live? I'd love to come and meet you and take a look.

Near Toledo.

Tim Hancock · 11-28-2011, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soukus

I would use bolts (1/4-3/8") at every point the vertical 2x4(?) are touching a truss. Just one at each member of the trusses would do. Evenly distributed between the three trusses, it would be like a couple of 200lbs Roofers standing on the roof.

Souk, I have (5) #8 x 3" long screws at each location where the vertical 2x4 crosses the truss. Good enough... or should I go back and drill for a bolt/nut in the center of each joint?

willtel · 11-28-2011, 04:25 AM

I think you are all set for a 300lb plane. If you could balance it properly a single 2x4 would hold it up.

Too many planes for the hanger = good problems to have.

MotoSook · 11-28-2011, 04:36 AM

Should be good, Tim. I'm sure you'll ease it up the first time to judge deflection. Good luck.

Tim Hancock · 11-28-2011, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willtel

Too many planes for the hanger = good problems to have.

Problem is that I have accumulated too many other toys/projects over the years... One can never have too many toys or too much shop space.

MFAFF · 11-28-2011, 05:27 AM

Building structure is likely to be good with the solution you propose.
It's the plane that might not be as happy.
We discovered that when we did this..

Plane structures are a tad averse to having this done to them....

island911 · 11-28-2011, 08:58 AM

300_lbs? ...pfft. that's nothing.

otoh, if you have snow loading, the plane, AND a bunch of crap stored up there....

Tim Hancock · 11-28-2011, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

300_lbs? ...pfft. that's nothing.

otoh, if you have snow loading, the plane, AND a bunch of crap stored up there....

Snow typically does not build up much as it is typically quite windy.... not really very much stuff (nothing heavy) stored up there especially in the area where the plane is being hoisted.

stomachmonkey · 11-28-2011, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFAFF

Plane structures are a tad averse to having this done to them....

Hmm, would it be easier to just build a small platform to park the plane on and lift that?

Put casters on it so the thing is easy to move around when on the ground?

Scott
(Living vicariously thru Tim's projects)

Tim Hancock · 11-28-2011, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Hmm, would it be easier to just build a small platform to park the plane on and lift that?

Put casters on it so the thing is easy to move around when on the ground?

Scott
(Living vicariously thru Tim's projects)

I am considering doing just that if I cant come up with a rock solid enough sling system that will positively do no damage to my fragile airframe.