Bessonneau hangar
Encyclopedia
The Bessonneau hangar was a portable timber and canvas aircraft hangar used by the Royal Flying Corps
during World War I
.
. The hangar, then referred to as a Bessonneau tent, was first used in the area of Maine-et-Loire
, and in 1910 specifically employed to protect aircraft participating in a race from Angers to Saumur
. In World War I, the design was adopted by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to house aircraft in both Great Britain and France. From about 1917, Bessonneau hangars were increasingly used for temporary protection for RFC aircraft pending construction and development of permanent hangars. They were also extensively used at RFC Aircraft Acceptance Parks, where aircraft were assembled and tested before delivery, and for squadrons that moved from Britain to advancing battlefronts in France. After World War I, Bessonneau hangars were often used for cheap and portable storage for civilian aircraft. Into World War II, the Royal Air Force continued to employ the hangars, later designated as 'Aircraft Hangar (Type H)' and defined by Air Publication AP.4488A. After World War II, British military use of Bessonneau hangars continued for the purpose of storing powered aircraft and gliders operated by the Air Training Corps
('Air Cadets'), until about 1990. A few hangars then briefly survived with gliding clubs for military personnel, but they typically succumbed to bad weather and inadequate maintenance and support.
s supported roof truss
es, with extensively triangulated ties and beams. Bays (units) of stanchions and trusses were built up and connected to each other, with each hangar assembled with 6, 9 or 12 bays to achieve different hangar lengths. Wooden flying buttress
es were applied to the sides and rear, to ensure rigidity, and ropes were used to tie down the whole structure onto steel picket
s driven into the ground. Snow poles were attached to the underside of selected trusses, and hinged to allow them to be lowered for extra roof support in the event of heavy snow or high winds. The tailored canvas covering was tied to the framework with ropes.
Over 1000 covers were made for the hangars at Messrs Paull & Co in Martock
, Somerset
The most common variant in Britain was the 6-bay design, providing inside clear dimensions of width (span) 20 metres (65 ft 6 in), length 24 metres (79 ft) and height 4 metres (13 ft 2 in). Outside dimensions were width 22 metres (72 ft), length 28 metres (91 ft 10 in), height 7.7 metres (25 ft 5 in), excluding picketing ropes.
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
History
In about 1908, the Bessonneau hangar was designed and manufactured by the French rope and canvas manufacturer Etablissements Bessonneau, headed by Julien Bessonneau (1842–1916) and based at AngersAngers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
. The hangar, then referred to as a Bessonneau tent, was first used in the area of Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
, and in 1910 specifically employed to protect aircraft participating in a race from Angers to Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
. In World War I, the design was adopted by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to house aircraft in both Great Britain and France. From about 1917, Bessonneau hangars were increasingly used for temporary protection for RFC aircraft pending construction and development of permanent hangars. They were also extensively used at RFC Aircraft Acceptance Parks, where aircraft were assembled and tested before delivery, and for squadrons that moved from Britain to advancing battlefronts in France. After World War I, Bessonneau hangars were often used for cheap and portable storage for civilian aircraft. Into World War II, the Royal Air Force continued to employ the hangars, later designated as 'Aircraft Hangar (Type H)' and defined by Air Publication AP.4488A. After World War II, British military use of Bessonneau hangars continued for the purpose of storing powered aircraft and gliders operated by the Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
('Air Cadets'), until about 1990. A few hangars then briefly survived with gliding clubs for military personnel, but they typically succumbed to bad weather and inadequate maintenance and support.
Construction
The hangar was supplied as a kit of parts that could be easily erected, dismantled, transported and re-erected at another location. The principal material of the framework was wood, joined by wooden plates, steel brackets and steel bolts. Vertical stanchionStanchion
A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often providing support for some other object.* An architectural term applied to the upright iron bars in windows that pass through the eyes of the saddle bars or horizontal irons to steady the leadlight. A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often...
s supported roof truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
es, with extensively triangulated ties and beams. Bays (units) of stanchions and trusses were built up and connected to each other, with each hangar assembled with 6, 9 or 12 bays to achieve different hangar lengths. Wooden flying buttress
Flying buttress
A flying buttress is a specific form of buttressing most strongly associated with Gothic church architecture. The purpose of any buttress is to resist the lateral forces pushing a wall outwards by redirecting them to the ground...
es were applied to the sides and rear, to ensure rigidity, and ropes were used to tie down the whole structure onto steel picket
Screw picket
A screw picket is a metal device used to secure something to the ground. Today, screw pickets are used widely to temporarily "picket" dogs and grazing animals such as sheep, goats, and horses...
s driven into the ground. Snow poles were attached to the underside of selected trusses, and hinged to allow them to be lowered for extra roof support in the event of heavy snow or high winds. The tailored canvas covering was tied to the framework with ropes.
Over 1000 covers were made for the hangars at Messrs Paull & Co in Martock
Martock
Martock is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The parish includes Hurst, approximately one mile south of the village, and Bower Hinton, which is located at the western end of the...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
The most common variant in Britain was the 6-bay design, providing inside clear dimensions of width (span) 20 metres (65 ft 6 in), length 24 metres (79 ft) and height 4 metres (13 ft 2 in). Outside dimensions were width 22 metres (72 ft), length 28 metres (91 ft 10 in), height 7.7 metres (25 ft 5 in), excluding picketing ropes.
External links
- Corpus Historique Etampois (fr) corpusetampois.com
- Histoire du Bessonneau (fr) aircollection.pagesperso-orange.fr
- AP.4488A ch.1 kestrel-gliding.org.uk
- AP.4488A ch.2 kestrel-gliding.org.uk
- AP.4488A ch.3 kestrel-gliding.org.uk
- AP.4488A ch.4 kestrel-gliding.org.uk
- AP.4488A app.1 kestrel-gliding.org.uk
- AP.119M-0104-5F kestrel-gliding.org.uk
- Images & AP.4488A pages kestrel-gliding.org.uk
- Bessonneau hangars at Duxford 1918 http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/place/gdg18/firstworldwar.htm
- Bessonneau hangar at Guernsey 1917 greatwarci.net
- Bessonneau hangars in Canada 1920 bombercommandmuseum.ca