Former RAF airport seeks temporary heating for hangar

Before a newly constructed aircraft hangar could be deemed ready for use, the lead contractor had to ensure that flooring was properly laid to facilitate the storage of planes. Although seemingly a straightforward process in principle, extra care and attention must be paid to guarantee the floor could handle the intense load of aircraft weighing several dozen tonnes.

To achieve this a special resin is chemically fixed to the substrate beneath, which enables it to withstand sustained vehicular traffic and general abrasion. During the application process, temperatures must be maintained at approximately 15⁰C. This can present quite a challenge due to the sheer size of a typical hangar – and this is where we come in!

Our customer explained that their gas supply had not yet been fitted, meaning their internal heating system was unable to function. A temporary heating solution was therefore required as soon as possible, with the client desperate to complete the project before the Christmas break.

Given that the application in question exceeded 20,000m³ in size, we decided that three of our FH4000 indirect fired oil heaters would be needed for this project. As the biggest heater in our expansive hire fleet, a single unit can deliver air flows of up 24,000m³ while operating at 92% fuel efficiency.

Each heater was accompanied by its own fuel tank, with the equipment deployed outside the hangar and lengths of ducting used to distribute warm air inside. Despite very few companies having the resources to offer either the high capacity heaters required or arrange immediate delivery, we were able to tick both boxes and have the kit on site within 24 hours of the enquiry surfacing.