The article shows the new refurbishment of Gaydon Hangar.
History
Like many bases within the UK, the existing hangar doors were old and difficult to operate. They were opened by a hand wheel attached to the door leaf at low level. It took a long time to open them and consequently they stayed open for long periods of time. The doors were also larger than was required for modern aircraft; this resulted in heat loss and a less than perfect working environment for the aircraft technicians.




New solution with Megadoor
The entire end of the building was reclad, together with translucent panels at high level. The existing centre door leafs were removed and a 22m wide x 7m high electrically operated Megadoor was installed. This was split in two, 10m one side and 12m the other, separated by a swing-up column, which enables the full width of 22m to be achieved when required. For most of the aircraft, it is sufficient to open up only one side, thus reducing heat loss and maintaining an improved working environment.