Originally Posted by
DaveReidUK
Most authoritative sources, including Barnes and Thetford, quote the 100 ft limit as being imposed on Shorts by the 1936 specification.
The limit was suggested by the head of the Operational Requirements section (Gp Capt Oxland). This was not directly related to hangarage of the aircraft, but to minimise weight whilst having a structure strong enough to be catapulted with an acceleration of 2.5g at the end of a launch. Previously specifications
had limited span to 100ft citing hangar doors as the reason, but not apparently B12/36.
Interestingly in 1934 one AT Harris, then in charge of Plans wrote on 6 Mar 34 "Hangars are already proved an unessential luxury, except for repair purposes & in wartime hangars will be the last place in which to keep aircraft."