Heli-Box (Portable hangar)

[kopter]

Anyone seen a customised 40ft Shipping container used for a portable hangar?

Am looking into customising an open 40ft container by attaching a 4mt (13.2ft) pitched roof to the container (after it's delivered to our site)...

It'll be for the B206 Jetranger. (Dimensions for the B206 are 39.1ft x 6.8ft x 11.7ft - Max blade height)

It's a tight fit but it'll fit (just) - Am going to use a hydraulic lifter to get the aircraft in and out... Am also thinking along the lines of putting guiding batons on the floor so the horizontal stabilizers won't hit the sides of the container when it's guided in with the hydraulic lifter... and a "Stop" baton so the aircraft has to stop before the blade touches the back of the container wall.

Anyone done this?, any pictures anywhere? All ideas and suggestions welcome...

Thanks for your help in advance...

Regards,
kopter. :D

[206 jock]

Watch that max blade height! My 206 goes into a barn with a door that's too low,so everytime I put it away I have to go through a little dance involving the tie down going from front to back as the M/R head is under the top of the door! Havn't got the numbers in front of me, but 11.7ft sounds doubtful to me, especially if you've got high skids.

Sounds a neat idea: post a pic when it's done!

[Helinut]

I had a similar mental picture to the one mentioned by 206jock. Remember to add the extra height as a result of using the hydraulic lifter

[airborne_artist]

Pity you can't just let the tyres down a bit:E :E

[2beers]

Well, interesting idea.

A couple of things to remember though. Anything that collides with a helicopter will win. Being mostly around airplanes and lately more around helicopters, I have found that one of best things to have is a lot of room. Building a tin-shed style hangar is not that expensive compared to repairing a helicopter. You would need to have sideways guides that starts quite a few metres in front of the container (sorry, hangar ;) ), that sort of takes away the portability. Will there be a need for a ramp to get the helicopter inside? If so, will the front blade protrude higher when on the ramp? If the hydraulic cart breaks down, will there be enough room to put on a pair of wheels and gently push it out? Will there be sufficient room to open a door when inside, otherwise it's a bummer to forget the wallet inside. If the weather isn't great, it's always nice to have some room to do most of the daily when still inside.

Just my thoughts. Good luck!

/2beers

[trackdirect]

Why dont you just use two tie downs to ensure blades are level instead of the front blade being way up in the air?? It works for me:ok:

you can even make the front one a fixed length and put a hook on it to attatch to a cargo mirror bracket or make the front strap a Y strap and screw some P'clips to the toes of your JR skids....
The screws and the holes they go in already exist!!

The rear tiedown remains the same so you can put some slight tension on when tying down.

Just a thought

[kopter]

Some good points, thanks….

RE: Will there be a need for a ramp to get the helicopter inside?

The container will be dropped onto grass with an adjacent bitumen area (this will be the lead up to the entrance to the box) – We are then going to excavate down 4 to 5 inches so we can sink the container enough to remove the lip of the entrance to the box.

RE: Will the front blade protrude higher when on the ramp?
The blades will be tied so they are horizontal… We have P clips already on the front of the skids.

RE: If the hydraulic cart breaks down, will there be enough room to put on a pair of wheels and gently push it out?
I have thought about this, I need 100 inches clearance to put the wheels on; it’ll be tight, but possible.

RE: Will there be sufficient room to open a door when inside?
Again, very tight.

The aircraft will also need to go in nose first.

[wishtobflying]

If you're having to excavate a pad area for the container, how portable will this really be? How often will it be moved? Would the cost of throwing up a tin shed not be less than the hassle of (literally) shoe-horning a 206 into this space? Once you've removed the roof, it kind of takes away the value of buying an expensive watertight shipping container, no?

[kopter]

We are not planning on moving the container... It's just a "what if we had to scenario"...

Unfortunately due to reasons beyond my control, we can't put up a permanent structure at the moment, so this solution is just to get the helicopter out of the weather until we can build something more permanent.

The container I'm going to buy has no roof... It's what they call a 40ft open top. The pitched roof I'm going to put on is going to be pre-fabricated off site and then delivered.

[wishtobflying]

Okay, shows how much I know about shipping containers ... I've never seen any other than the closed up type. I hope this works out for you. I suppose putting up a shed would still involve pouring a concrete slab, which I can see would be a bit of a pain if the site is a temporary location.

Like 206 jock said - be sure to post a picture of whatever you come up with!

[kopter]

Thanks wishtobflying...

Re: Pics

Wilco!

[kopter]

Track direct. You know who I am... PM me again and sign off with your name...:D

[belly tank]

KOPTER,

Wish you the best of luck with it mate!....ive just come home from an night off with the missus and she's asleep on the lounge so i can PPRUNE for awhlie and saw your thread!... excuse me other punters but ive had a good night off! .....mate sorry i couldnt help..anytime you want to layover at the PAD!..just call me it will be FOC!......

call me next week KOPTER ive got some interersting news for you, its the helicopter industry at its best!!.......you know what i mean!! back stabbing, infighting, corruption allegations, crying poor!!...i better go now before i really spit the dummy!! the helicopter industry sucks sometimes but i love it!!

anyway back to the thread....

[SHortshaft]

A couple of points to remember when using a 40-foot open top container (which I learned the hard way):

1. The door is narrower than the internal dimensions of the container. So even if it is wide enough inside the container it might not be wide enough at the door.

2. The open tops I have seen/used still have the top door top beam fixed in place, and this can be an issue

[greenarrow]

I Know of one owner who inverted his open top, cut the beam out and placed the container on a raised foundation of breeze blocks.
The doors had been extended with a draft excluder fitted and electrics plumbed in through the side of the container. He also tunnel groved the floor to allow run of from any spillage, this went into a collector for easy removal.
By using a simple electric winch place center rear with a long control lead he could pull the heli into and out of the hanger.
He controlled the back of the heli holding the tail skid area and used the helis own wheels. by placing a pulley at the oposite end of the landing area (in front of the hanger) and running the winch cable around it he could also pull the heli out.
Seemed to work. Just a thought!:ok:

[mickjoebill]

There is a company in the US that stows a MD500 in a semi. Used for aerial filming the semi is fitted with fuel tank edit suite ect ect.
Can't find the URL.

Mickjoebill

[kopter]

Well, here it is.... The Helibox. (Starting life as a 40ft open-top shipping container and now a hangar! - Attached at the far end is a 10ft container which serves as a small workshop/storage area).

Thanks to my two good friends (CDP & CB) for all their assistance for getting the Helibox from concept to a fantastic solution for housing my pride & joy!!! :O

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/DSC00010aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/IMG_0131aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/IMG_0146aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/IMG_0166aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/IMG_0172aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/IMG_0176aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/_MG_1655aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/_MG_1675aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/_MG_1664aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/_MG_1673aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/_MG_1684aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/_MG_1681aa.jpg

http://blueskyhelicopters.com/Helibox/images/_MG_1686aa.jpg

[allyn]

That looks pretty neat!

[helicopter-redeye]

Gothic even. Or perhaps even a touch Amish ...

h-r:)

[kopter]

It's been dubbed "The Church" by colleagues here at the Heliport! :D - For me.... A solution at last, hail or shine!

Funny enough I have a Heli-wedding on today for a couple who are getting married over the Harbour!:}

[wishtobflying]

Thanks for the followup - it's nice to see the result after the discussion here. I think you might have some people looking for the specs on that li'l heli-church. I know of a few places that could use one of those to keep the helicopter in out of the weather.

What's the rating on the roof as far as wind? I noticed you didn't go with a slab - is it anchored to the ground at all?

Can you give us an all-up ball park figure for this project? It would be interesting to compare to the costs of hangar space at some of our local airports, or putting up a "proper" hangar yourself.

[muffin]

I am looking for a steel container to keep my R22 in at home. The problem is that standard shipping containers are not high enough - I need 10 feet to give comfortable clearance with the wheels fitted.

Does anybody know of a source in the UK?

[9Aplus]

One foot more or open top....

High cube containers give you an extra foot in height compared to the standard general-purpose containers. Ideal for light, voluminous cargo or bulky cargo. These high cube container units come in both 20' and 40' lengths.:ok:

[Langball]

You could get an 'open top' offshore container and put a sloped roof on it. Don't think you'll get a standard container with 10 foot internal height.

see here : Ferguson Seacabs - Open Top Containers (http://www.fergusonseacabs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=43)

[rotorboater]

The hiCube door is only 2585 high & an R22 is 2718mm so it's going to need a lot of work to fit.

[John R81]

The standard steel shipping container has steel sides, roof and ends. It has a plywood floor which is attached to steel cross-bars. If you want to make a container higer, remove the plywood and cut the cross-bars, then mount the container on a stub wall, or use the cross-bars to lift the whole thing up.

If you don't need secure locking doors that is the end of the matter. If you do, then weld steel plate to extend the door down to the floor level and then add a hasp and padlock.

Simples!:ok:

[biggles99]

John R81 is correct - I've seen several like this.

a very prominent member of the HCGB used to keep his Alpha in just such a container, he moved on ages ago to a much bigger machine. Don't know whether he still has his old container.

PM me if you want his details.

On word of warning: don't make it too "watertight". The condensation will rot both the container AND the lovely R22 inside! Use a de-humidifyer and a greenhouse heater.

Big Ls.

[Whirlygig]

These people make bespoke containers.

Container Sales and Hire (http://www.sjonescontainers.co.uk/saleshire.htm)

Cheers

Whirls