40 and Counting...
This fall marks a milestone for Fulfab. Forty years ago we produced our first T-Hangar, a single unit sliding door model for Kirk Field in Paragould, Arkansas.
Forty years later, we have furnished over 6,500 T-Hangar units to airports in 42 states and Canada. We are proud to have been producing T-Hangars for the general aviation community longer than any manufacturer in the country.
Just as single-engine pistons have evolved from Cubs to Malibus, hangar construction has experienced significant innovations as well. Electrically operated bifold doors, 20 year warranties on sheet metal corrosion resistance and paint finishes, and lighter, stronger steel products are among the standards we've come to expect.
No one can predict what the future holds for general aviation, although there are several positive indicators. The 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act, which limits aircraft manufacturers' liability to eighteen years, paved the way for Cessna to invest over thirty million dollars to resume production of single engine planes. Alternate funding sources, such as Passenger Facility Charges, have been introduced to provide local dollars for local airport development.
We have doubled our volume of business since 1989 and are bullish on the future. This Spring we will break ground on a major expansion of our fabrication facility, enabling us to increase production and decrease lead times.
We thank our customers, suppliers and support people for their roles in helping us though forty years of business and look forward to expanding those relationships for many years to come.

Meet the Staff
Bill Shamblin is one of the primary reasons we are able to offer our customers factory-direct steel erection services. He logs over 30,000 miles on the road each year, traveling from New England to the Southwest, directing our crews and supervising local help. Bill has been with us for six years, starting as a laborer on our road crews and quickly rising to his current position of Field Superintendent.
Bill was born and raised in Northeast Ohio and worked on horse farms in the area throughout his youth. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and spent nine years in the military - much of it at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico. His duties included erecting portable structures, which has served him well in his position with us.
Bill, his wife Teresa and their ten year old son, Nathaniel, live in a country setting in Eastern Ohio. They enjoy hunting, fishing and gardening during breaks in Bill's busy schedule.

Featured Project
Our "road warriors," otherwise referred to as our steel erection crews, had the rare opportunity to sleep in their own beds during our job at the Akron-Fulton Airport in Akron, OH.
The latest building furnished at this City of Akron owned field, was a 15 unit Model LK42 and was erected along side a 9 unit Model LK42 that we installed in 1988. The private developers group which owns and operates this new building is headed by an avid pilot and local architect, Mark Ohlinger.
Model LK42 is designed to house single engine through midsize twin engine aircraft and features electrically operated bifold doors with clear dimensions of 41'8" x 12'0". The city required an 8" masonry endwall on the north end in lieu of the standard sheet metal wall. Another unique feature of this project were door skylights installed in the upper half of each bifold door, directly over the personnel access door.
The owners wisely chose to address the issue of condensation during construction by having insulation installed between the roof purlins and roof panels. The 3" thick fiberglass blankets were laminated with a reinforced vinyl vapor barrier.
Mr. Ohlinger reports occupancy at or near full capacity. He and his two partners are very pleased with their building which also happens to house their three aircraft.

Condensation Control









Ask any aircraft owner who has walked into their hangar an a cool morning to discover their pride and joy has been "dropped" on overnight and you'll know why condensation is a four-letter word to hangar tenants. These droppings can include red rust and paint particles from overhead building components, as well.
The condensation process occurs when warmer moist air comes in contact with cooler surfaces and loses its ability to retain moisture. Whenever the air temperature inside the hangar drops below its dew point, excess moisture will be released in the form of condensation. This condensation is most prevalent in climates which experience large temperature fluctuations from day to night when temperatures frequently drop to 35†F or colder over an extended period of time.
Fiberglass insulation blankets laminated with vapor barrier facings are typically used to prevent water vapors from reaching the cooler outside air and condensing. Blankets of 2" or 3" thickness should be faced with a vinyl or foil material carrying a permeance rating of .1 or less, as determined by ASTM E-96. Proper installation of this material is imperative to maintain maximum effectiveness against condensation.
Moisture content within the hangar is best controlled through the use of ventilation. Gravity ventilation systems are most commonly used for hangar applications. These ventilators are installed along the ridge of the building either continuously or intermittently within each unit.
Finally, to minimize the resulting rust when condensation forms on building components, it is desirable to use galvanized material whenever possible. Galvanized roof purlins will not promote the formation of red rust as will purlins made of "black iron" which are then painted. Your hangar tenants will thank you for choosing Galvanized.

Maintenance Guide & Checklist

We recommend that you inspect and lubricate your Fulfab T-Hangars and bifold doors at regular six month intervals. Reproduced above is our maintenance checklist with procedures that should be performed on each bifold door hangar unit.

Each procedure is referenced on the checklist with a drawing number which will help you to locate the parts requiring your attention. We can provide copies of these drawings to you free of charge.

Any worn or damaged parts should be reported and replacement parts secured before the doors are used further. Fulfab maintains a complete stock of replacement parts.