Aviation
Fabric Buildings for Aviation—It’s All About The Ground Support
Legacy has long supported the aviation industry at home and abroad with hangars, cargo distribution, and maintenance facilities that function efficiently and cost-effectively.
Aircraft and the aviation/aerospace industry are constantly evolving, and our engineers love the challenge of precisely meeting customers’ needs with fully customized structures. This includes projects we do for the military sector.
We build strong structures that stand up to wind, weather, and seismic conditions. Our clear span engineering can give you very wide structures (more than 300 feet) without central supports that obstruct movement, with any eave and peak heights required to accommodate massive aircraft and doors.
As a vertically integrated company, Legacy offers end-to-end service from design through manufacture and installation. This streamlined process results in faster occupancy and return on investment.
Aviation Buildings
Hangars
Airports and manufacturing facilities need permanent facilities to assemble, store, and/or service aircraft of all types. Safety and ease of movement are always vital considerations, but the size and type of aircraft to be served dictate the dimensions and features that will work best.
Most aviation operations require an enclosed building, but in some cases, a pavilion-style structure may offer operational advantages. In any event, every hangar project must address key issues:
- Footprint and height requirements
- Hangar doors
- Water mitigation
- Ventilation
- Collateral loads
Legacy fabric buildings are ideal for hangars and hangar-like structures needed for:
- Airplanes
- Helicopters
- Drones
- Hybrid Aircraft
- Shade and de-icing shelters
- Storage and service of ground support equipment such as fire suppression, snow removal, and other vehicles
Our hangars are built to be permanent. However, we understand that business needs can change or, especially for military purposes, hangars are sometimes needed in remote locations. Our buildings can be designed to support future relocation, expansion, or reconfiguration.
Each Legacy building is custom-engineered to meet local zoning and land use laws, building codes, and FAA requirements. They are Group IV NFPA-rated and proven to stand up to extreme environmental conditions.
Rigid steel I-beam construction allows for clean lines and clear spans of more than 300 feet that create wide-open interior spaces. We can build to any single or multi-level height, ensuring plenty of headroom for even the tallest aircraft and for hanging loads such as fire suppression and HVAC systems.
Legacy ExxoTec™ fabric cladding is strong and durable, inherently fire retardant, and thermally non-conductive. In white, the fabric’s 12% translucence provides abundant natural light indoors and makes for a naturally brighter interior in lined, insulated buildings. Its superior acoustics create a quieter working environment.
Cargo Processing
The cargo industry is expanding worldwide to meet growing eCommerce and consumer demand for speedy delivery. Carriers are adding distribution centers at hubs and key regional locations, and speed to completion is often a crucial factor.
Cargo facilities typically require space for docks and staging areas, sorting, and warehousing, plus enough room to safely accommodate the movement of equipment and personnel. Buildings often incorporate cranes, high-stack storage, and conveyors that operate indoors only or through a wall.
Legacy buildings are constructed with rigid steel framework and ExxoTecTM fabric cladding that are structurally as tough and durable (or more so) compared to other types of buildings.
That said, fabric offers multiple advantages, including faster time to completion and virtually no ongoing maintenance. Unobstructed interior space can be configured to meet each cargo facility’s specific needs.
Maintenance Facilities
Airlines and MROs need hangars that are spacious and function efficiently for servicing commercial and large executive airplanes and, in some cases, other types of aircraft. Many facilities require additional shop space–or an additional building–for onsite vehicle maintenance.
Building square footage and doors must be massive enough to accommodate very large aircraft–often multiple planes at the same time. But maintenance facilities require even greater height than other hangars, to allow for catwalks and lifting jacks as well as potential hanging loads.
Legacy fabric buildings offer clear span construction to 300+ feet in either direction, to whatever height is needed. They provide the structural integrity of rigid steel and the special advantages of fabric cladding. Our white fabric makes buildings naturally lighter, brighter, and quieter for a more pleasant, energy-efficient working environment.
Our one-stop process makes design-manufacturing-installation go faster, to get your building up and working sooner. And, while it might be a maintenance facility, your Legacy fabric building will require very little maintenance of its own.
Our Process
Whether you have a complete building spec or just an idea in mind, our team will lead you through the design process with expertise and efficiency.
Our in-house engineering team leads the charge on creative solutions that benefit all project stakeholders—namely you.
Legacy is an end-to-end manufacturer, meaning your project will be built right on site in our 87,000 sq ft facility in St. Cloud, MN.
Now to the good stuff. Your installation benefits from our safe, effective process in one of two ways—your Legacy rep onsite with local crews or full install services.
Case Study
Aero Storage
96,000 sq ft Aircraft Assembly Hangar | Kansas
Big doors, natural light and plenty of clearspan space for equipment are the highlights of this aero storage facility. Our design features a completely removable door for oversized vehicles.
View Case StudyOntario Airport (ONT) Cargo Facilities
126,320 sq ft Cargo Logistics Facilities | Ontario, CA
As consumers continue to increase their demand for next-day packages, the square footage necessary for sorting increases as well. Ontario International Airport in California is the West Coast air and truck hub for UPS Airlines and is a major distribution point for FedEx Express. The Airport Authority found themselves requiring more space, resulting in a re-organization of the airport and the construction of two cargo buildings.
View Case StudySolar Ship, Inc. Off-Grid Aircraft Assembly Hangar
40,597 sq ft Aircraft Assembly Hangar | Brantford, ON
Solar Ship, Inc. is a Canadian company that develops hybrid aircraft designed to provide access to remote locations worldwide. The Solar Ship aircraft operate using solar power – an ideal the company is committed to maintaining in the design of their assembly facilities and hangars. In 2014, Solar Ship contacted Legacy Building Solutions to engineer, install and provide project management services on a new hangar in Brantford, Ontario.
View Case StudyDHL Express Logistics Staging Pavilions
237,800 sq ft DHL-ULD Logistics – Americas HUB Buildings | CVG Airport – Erlanger, KY
DHL Express expanded their hub to include two pavilion buildings for cargo storage and logistics.
View Case StudyYMM Airport Garage and Tool Shed
4,540 sq ft Airport Tool Shed and Vehicle Maintenance Shop | YMM Airport – Fort McMurray, AB
The airport lost many support buildings in a fire. The Airport Commission partnered with Legacy Building Solutions to design and install two new buildings.
View Case StudyRota Naval Base
Two 10,000 sq ft Helicopter Repair Hangars
The Naval Air Base in Rota, Spain partnered with Legacy for two 10,000 sq ft aviation hangars
View Case StudyTestimonials
Legacy Building Solutions has given Solar Ship more than just a state-of-the-art hangar and assembly building.
Through our close collaboration, their design incorporates a self-reliant photovoltaic power package that sits above the fabric roof, allowing our building operations to be entirely off-grid. In addition, Legacy’s foundation design allowed us to re-use an existing concrete pad, saving us time and money during construction. These innovations were part of our top-level requirements, and delivering on them really sets Legacy apart from the traditional building segment.
Legacy was the only one that could do a two-stepped building.
Legacy was the only one that could do a two-stepped building, so we could have a high part in front …and then have it stepped down, so we stay out of the clearance zone.
Legacy was one of the only companies that could construct to that height.
We needed a structure this big to be able to do maintenance inside, and we needed something we could erect quickly and meet all our requirements. Legacy was one of the only companies that could construct to that height.
Start Your Project
Partnerships Equal Structural Integrity
Whatever your industry, project, and desired application, the Legacy team of engineers will make your vision a reality. Start your project with the team who will finish strong—like our partnership.