How hot is too hot

I’m slowly working on insulation and closing in my new to me hangar. It’s a 20 year old stick built 50x60 that came with the house. It had zero insulation in it when we bought the place. No ceiling with the top of the pitch probably 25 feet up. The hangar door faces west and gets a lot of afternoon sun. Soffit vents and a roof cap. I’ve insulated about 90% of the walls and know a ceiling will be a big help and am slowly working there as funds allow. I have a low end weather station that has the base station located close the center of the building with a remote sensor on the west wall. Wind station is obviously outside. When I’m home the garage door is at least partially open almost every day which helps. When I’m out of town though its always closed up. I’m in NC and we have pretty warm humid temperatures in the summer months. Last year the warmest temperature I recall seeing inside was 107 at the base and a wall temp of 115. Heat index was over 135.
Pic from today



So my main question is…. Lol. How hot is too hot when it comes to storing fabric covered airplanes?

Some pics of said hangar.

I would say as long as you are out of the sun you will be fine. The problem usually comes up with a dark color plane sitting out in the sun. Putting in a insulated ceiling should also help. A single layer of plastic may even help for now, give it a try. DENNY

Fabric dosnt mind heat. as Denny mentioned, direct sun is a different matter.
Heat May take a toll on other components in the plane. But humidity is your biggest enemy, maybe consider more ventilation?

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My planes have lived in uninsulated metal hangars 15-30 miles from the Texas coast as long as I’ve owned them, so they get same storage conditions as yours with the added bonus of salty air. The fabric doesn’t seem to suffer, but corrosion happens quickly if not addressed. Once you finish getting the building insulated, consider adding 1 or 2 mini-split AC systems, they’re excellent for keeping the temps reasonable and don’t use much electricity. My dad has a 54x60 insulated hangar that is in the exact same environment as you, the units keep his hangar at a dry 80 degrees all through the summer and 63 in the winter, and has never had a bill over $120/month. His plane doesn’t appear to have aged at all in the 6 years it’s been in the hangar.

Seeing how rubber items deteriorate in heat? Cooler is better. My Texas warehouse has no AC but it does have a very powerful gable fan to push hot air out. With door(s) open that fan makes a big difference in indoor temp and comfort. For time away adding a thermostat for the fan and a passive intake grill would be easy.

My solution along with spray foaming the hangar.

Supposed to be 109° tomorrow in College Station. I’m happy to be in Alaska!

Expecting 110+ tomorrow here in Phoenix. Let's compare notes again in December. I've been in Fairbanks and Anchorage in the winter on cold weather trials. I prefer the Phoenix area in the winter.

So if you want an 80 or 90 degree hangar, Icynene the ceiling, Glue 2 inch styrofoam 8 x 10 x 2 inch panels on the door and install a 3 ton minisplit. You will be very happy. Oh,
The building must be airtight, most important. Very affordable to condition the space. PM me if you want more info. I keep 60x60 25ft eve cool all summer. An 8000 BTU window unit mounted on a rolling cart makes one heck of super dehumidifier, once it gets below 50 there is no water discharge to speak of.

frequent_flyer said:

Expecting 110+ tomorrow here in Phoenix. Let's compare notes again in December. I've been in Fairbanks and Anchorage in the winter on cold weather trials. I prefer the Phoenix area in the winter.

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Been doing the PHX flight last two months. One day on the tarmac a ramper had a thermometer and it was 118 dead calm, wonder what pavement temp was….. Next week 112 and blowing 30-40. Last week 108 then sun went down and a huge rainstorm came over airport. Nothing like using all the runway max blast packs off. I still like PHX though its just to bad a junior Capt. like me (22yrs with company) only gets to bid it in summer. Heat be damned, I’ll be there tomorrow morning.

Steve Pierce said:

My solution along with spray foaming the hangar.

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A few years ago, while doing my usual crane work, I got a free commercial AC unit that worked great, for a few days. Until I noticed the new filters were coal black from the welding project I was doing in the shop. It's intake air was inside shop air. New filters lasted a couple days, that's when the light went on: in my dry area, a big swamp cooler works better for a shop's AC, fresh outside air, and the opened window for the exhaust sweeps any welding fumes etc. right on out. I easily keep my 40' by 40' shop at 73 degrees, and since my hangar is on a lower level and earth sheltered on 3 sides, it stays about the same. A mini split for the house.

111-113 forecast in Tulsa for Tuesday.

Flyingde said:

I’m in NC and we have pretty warm humid temperatures in the summer months. Last year the warmest temperature I recall seeing inside was 107 at the base

So my main question is…. Lol. How hot is too hot when it comes to storing fabric covered airplanes?

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to answer that question, I don’t think heat like that will affect a fabric airplane since it’s stored inside out of the UV rays. That’s the real killer, not including southern humid salt air and rain water.

I must be the only one with a non-climate controlled garage (Texas) who has shoes, golf club grips, etc turn to goo after a few months? The cars do okay so airplanes probably would, too. My new house will have the entire building envelope spray foamed. The garage won’t have AC but I hope the insulation helps. I’ll appreciate that the attic isn’t 120° like mine was last month when moving out of the old house.