Work is underway on a £3.6 million project to redevelop two Second World War hangars at the National Museum of Flight, and we are proud to play a part in it.
Built during WW2, the hangars had an original projected lifespan of just a few years. They are part of the East Fortune Airfield Scheduled Monument and will reopen in spring 2016.
We are delighted to work alongside Balfour Beatty to assist in the redevelopment. Our role involves over-cladding the exterior which will be sympathetic to the building’s heritage and preserve the original design.
Curtis Moore carried out some minor work on site during May before returning to site for the majority of work at the beginning of July. The work consists of overlaying the existing roof with a single skin, sinusoidal roof sheet to match the existing appearance of the roof. These sheets will then be painted with bitumen.
We are also replacing various damaged & rusted wall cladding sheets. One of the main challenges we faced was sourcing materials which matched the originals which would have been produced over 70 years ago, including the hook bolts used to fix the cladding.
One hanger will display military aircraft while the other will display smaller commercial and leisure aircraft dating from 1939 onwards.
The restored hangars will be heated and insulated for the first time, offering improved environmental conditions for the aircraft and allowing smaller objects, including weapons, uniforms and documents, to go on display for the first time.
The visitor experience will be greatly enhanced through new interpretation and displays. Suspended aircraft and a raised viewing platform will allow visitors to see some aircraft from new angles, while interactives showing archive footage and interviews will explore the history, technology and personal stories behind each aircraft.