Hydraulic or Bi-Fold

[dillardrg]

Moving my Citabria from 1H0 to M54 is to take place in a few weeks. I am number 47 on the hangar wait list.

I am moving from an airport that built box hangars as fast as they could and sold everyone of them as fast as they were completed to an airport run by the City/County where getting hangars approved to build is a multi-year project, getting them built takes even longer. Even then, they only build T hangars for rent.

I am considering leasing land from the airport and building my own, or rather having it built.

My question to the folks here who know about these things is which is best, a single panel hydraulic or a bi-fold door? The door will be 60'x16'.

 

[Henning]

I like a single top hinge hydraulic door, it provides an extra covered 'carport' in front of the hangar.

 

[kgruber]

My hangar has a Hi Fold door. Seems to be good.

 

[somorris]

I like the bi-fold from a strength standpoint. If you go with the hydraulic, be careful when it is windy.

 

[Hank S]

Bifold doors work well, and provide a cover out front that doesn't force you to park your car on the taxiway to open up. I was in one for six years, enjoyed it very much. Make sure to put the open button where you can reach it from outside! Pull the plane out, hit close and take a short flight (lunch!), come back and open from out front to put the plane away.

For longer trips, close the door and wait inside to throw the latches, exit out the people door in back and walk around. On the other hand, a doctor down the way had a remote in his car and in his Lance Air turboprop, he'd pull up, hit the button and the door would open up before he was ready to go inside. This was especially nice in cold weather, not having to stand there and wait for the door to open.

 

[Tom-D]

Lot less moving parts on a bi-fold, no hydraulic pump, cylinders or all that stuff.
no leaks.

These also have a remote to open and close. Plus a man door, and a lock out feature.

 

[Theboys]

I have 5 bifold hangers. Friend has hydraulic one piece. If I was building would be one piece hydraulic. Much easier to insulate and seal door. He has had for at least 5 years with no problems. I am constantly trying to seal doors better.

 

[Alexb2000]

Lately I've been using hydraulic hi-fold bi-folds. I like them a lot, especially the speed vs. electric. Next one I do I will spray foam the inside vs. reinforced bat that always rips off in the wind. I got that idea from Ben and I think it is a good one. Perhaps even liner panel the inside so it looks completely finished.

 

[n20junkie]

In snow regions its easy to have a door get stuck closed, and when they do bad stuff happens.

Bifold for the win in snow regions.

 

[N801BH]

In snow regions its easy to have a door get stuck closed, and when they do bad stuff happens.

Bifold for the win in snow regions.

Both the BI Fold and the one piece Hydraulic doors will glue / freeze themselves to the ground... Both will sustain damage during the opening process... Simple solution is to buy a 20 dollar weed sprayer from the hardware store and a few gallons of cheap RV anti freeze and put down a light coat where the bottom door seal contacts the ground...

It acts as a release agent and saves the bottom door seal.. easy pleasy..

As for the poll.... I vote for the one piece Hydraulic...

 

[timwinters]

Both the BI Fold and the one piece Hydraulic doors will glue / freeze themselves to the ground... Both will sustain damage during the opening process...

True but, if not stuck, the bottom of th bi-fold essentially lifts straight up. The one-piece hydraulic swings out. So, if there's two feet of snow on the ground...game, set and match to the bi-fold.

 

[N801BH]

True but, if not stuck, the bottom of th bi-fold essentially lifts straight up. The one-piece hydraulic swings out. So, if there's two feet of snow on the ground...game, set and match to the bi-fold.

Well... Sooner or later you are going to have to shovel or plow that 2 feet of snow to get the plane out....

Either you do it before with the one piece or later with the Bi fold... Pick your poison...

 

[timwinters]

And, If the snowblower is inside the hangar mounted to the front of the riding lawn mower?

Bi-fold!

Or have a separate smaller "standard" garage door...9' wide or so.

 

[flyingron]

I've got a Schweiss bifold. Not had any problem even though it only gives a half "carport" when it is open. The major advantage is that while operating it doesn't take too much additional room which is handy if someone is parked in front of my hangar on the ramp as happens from time to time with guests.

 

[timwinters]

Also, it's likely that the one piece hydraulic requires a significantly stouter building since it's all stuck out there cantilevered off of the main frame and catching the wind instead of folded in half.

100% larger sail...it all adds up. $$$$

Though if you can afford it, and want to put up with the downsides, as Henning says, it makes a helluva party canopy.

 

[dillardrg]

I thank you all for your replies. Reading them sounded just like the mental exercise I've been having.

The door I have now is a one piece but not hydraulic, it is a counter weighted system that runs in on rails at the top and swings out at the bottom. It uses a large concrete counterweight, steel cables and pulleys and a relatively small motor because there is not much weight to lift.

My experience with the single panel door is what led me to consider hydraulic as I like the one piece swing out partially because of the extra clearance at the top. In order to get a full 16' clearance for a bi-fold I will need to have close to an 18' opening with the extra cost involved.
I do have to look before opening but have had no problems with wind loads or with it freezing closed.

As you probably gathered, I am leaning toward single panel. I wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking something.

Thanks again.

 

[flyingron]

Of course the other option is a horizontal opening door. One of my neighbors has one of these on his hangar. It's got it's advantages and disadvantages.

 

[Henning]

Also, it's likely that the one piece hydraulic requires a significantly stouter building since it's all stuck out there cantilevered off of the main frame and catching the wind instead of folded in half.

100% larger sail...it all adds up. $$$$

Though if you can afford it, and want to put up with the downsides, as Henning says, it makes a helluva party canopy.

Most steel hangar buildings wouldn't need more than an extra pair of gussets to handle the slab door over the bifold. It's not like the bifold doesn't weigh the same and induce all the same forces, the slab just levers it out a bit further.

 

[N801BH]

And, If the snowblower is inside the hangar mounted to the front of the riding lawn mower?

Bi-fold!

Or have a separate smaller "standard" garage door...9' wide or so.

Ha....

What are you going to do. use your riding lawn mower to clear a path out the ramp and clear the taxiway to get to the runway... Or will you have to clear that too ??..

Most "decent" airports will plow snow up the the hangar doors.... Any well made one piece Hydraulic can safely "sweep" that small amount of snow that is left in front ,out as it rises... ..

Also, the OP made a valid point... When retro fitting a BI fold onto an existing hangar, you will lose a couple of feet of headroom when it clamshells up... The One piece will leave you the same finished opening you had before starting......

With that said... I prefer the one piece, BUT , both are a good product.. YMMV.

 

[timwinters]

Most steel hangar buildings wouldn't need more than an extra pair of gussets to handle the slab door over the bifold. It's not like the bifold doesn't weigh the same and induce all the same forces, the slab just levers it out a bit further.

So now you're a structural engineer too? Laughable.

 

[timwinters]

Of course the other option is a horizontal opening door. One of my neighbors has one of these on his hangar. It's got it's advantages and disadvantages.

One other advantage of a hydraulic door (that I didn't see mentioned here) is that you can get it set up to connect to the aux hydraulics of a tractor so you can operate it if the power goes out. Of course, if you have a tractor with aux hydraulics.

 

[Bill Watson]

Bi-Fold here but the Hydro would work for me too I guess.

Best thing was retro fitting a remote to it. Unlike a T-hangar I can taxi in, which is a real luxury after a long leg home.

The Bi-fold folks were telling me that I'd have to add new latches for something but it turns out I rarely latch the door anyway.

With a big box hangar I found that building an insulated HVAC'd shop inside was cheaper than trying to insulate and HVAC the whole thing.

Durham NC - YMMV

 

[Henning]

So now you're a structural engineer too? Laughable.

I've installed both, and have welded up more engineered structures than I can count, so yeah, I have a pretty good idea what is used to deal with what forces.

 

[James331]

I like properly built sliders.

No crap to break down, simple, max clearance.

Look at some of the old WWII hangars, still there and those old doors are HUGE yet can be pushed with one arm.

 

[timwinters]

I've installed both, and have welded up more engineered structures than I can count, so yeah, I have a pretty good idea what is used to deal with what forces.

Whatever, I've been associated with Butler Buildings for most of my life and can easily understand that a hydraulic door weighs more and is sticking out twice as far. Even a non-engineer with common sense knows that will take a stronger structure to support that, especially since it's cantilevered.

BTW...pre-engineered structures don't typically require welding.