Reference
Aircraft hangar dimensions
A hangar is sized from the aircraft's published wingspan and tail height plus a side margin you state — the aircraft dimension and the building dimension are never the same number.
- Piper Archer TX
- 35′ 6″ wingspan
- Cessna 172S
- 36′ 1″ wingspan
- Cirrus SR22
- 38.3 ft wingspan
- Margins used
- 5 ft side, 2 ft tail
Quick reference
Published aircraft dimensions and the hangar they need
Clear span = wingspan + 5 ft each side; door opening = wingspan + 3 ft each side, tail height + 2 ft
| Aircraft | Wingspan | Length | Tail height | Minimum clear span | Minimum door opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piper Archer TX | 35.5′ | 24′ | 7.25′ | 45.5′ | 41.5′ × 9.25′ |
| Cessna 172S Skyhawk | 36.08′ | 27.17′ | 8.92′ | 46.08′ | 42.08′ × 10.92′ |
| Cirrus SR22 / SR22T | 38.3′ | 26′ | 8.9′ | 48.3′ | 44.3′ × 10.9′ |
Wingspan, length and tail height are published type specifications. The margins are stated planning inputs you can change.
Aircraft dimension is not building dimension
Diagram
Wingspan inside the footprint
Openings
Door width margin, aircraft by aircraft
Total margin across the opening = door width − published wingspan
| Aircraft | Wingspan | Door opening 40 ft | Door opening 44 ft | Door opening 48 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piper Archer TX | 35.5′ | 4′ 6″ | 8′ 6″ | 12′ 6″ |
| Cessna 172S Skyhawk | 36.08′ | 3′ 11″ | 7′ 11″ | 11′ 11″ |
| Cirrus SR22 / SR22T | 38.3′ | 1′ 8″ | 5′ 8″ | 9′ 8″ |
Divide by two for the clearance on each wingtip when the aircraft is centred. A blanket recommendation hides how tight a 40 ft door is for a 38.3 ft span.
Footprint efficiency
T-hangar or box hangar for the same aircraft
A box hangar sized for a Cessna 172S at the margins above is 46.08 ft of span by roughly 35 ft of depth — about 1,613 sq ft for one aircraft. A T-hangar interleaves tails and wings so consecutive aircraft share the depth, which is why shared-field hangars are usually T-plan and private strips are usually box. A box hangar buys you the floor around the aircraft; a T-hangar buys you the smaller share of a bigger building.
Every span and opening on this page is the published aircraft dimension plus the stated margin. Change the margin and the arithmetic changes with it.
Planning
Space for work, not just storage
Stated planning input
Evidence
Where these numbers come from
Evidence record
- Platform calculation
Remaining clearance = interior dimension minus the parked envelope
Computed on this page
- Verified source
Cessna 172S Skyhawk: wingspan 36 ft 1 in, length 27 ft 2 in, height 8 ft 11 in
Cessna Skyhawk specifications (Dimensions) — Textron Aviation (Cessna)
- Verified source
Cirrus SR22 / SR22T: wingspan 38.3 ft, length 26.0 ft, height 8.9 ft
- Verified source
Piper Archer TX: wingspan 35 ft 6 in, length 24 ft 0 in, height 7 ft 3 in
- Planning assumption
Walk-around and door-swing allowances used on these pages are stated planning inputs chosen by the reader, not requirements
Computed on this page
Computed values are recalculated whenever this page renders. Published figures link to the source document. Planning inputs are shown as inputs so you can substitute your own.
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Answers
Common questions
The 172S has a published 36 ft 1 in wingspan and 8 ft 11 in height. With the 5 ft side margin used on this page that is a 46 ft clear span, and a door opening of about 42 ft wide by 11 ft high.
Wider than the wingspan by a margin you choose. A 40 ft door leaves a Cirrus SR22 just 1 ft 8 in of total margin — 10 in per wingtip when centred — which is why door width is quoted separately from span.
Per aircraft, usually. A T-hangar interleaves tails and wings so consecutive aircraft share depth. A box hangar gives you floor space all round the aircraft, which is what you want if you work on it.
No. The aircraft dimensions are published type specifications; the building dimensions are those specifications plus margins stated on this page. Nothing here is an FAA requirement or an engineering approval.
Continue your research
Related planning topics
Background reading on the questions this page raises. None of these pages sells anything.
Planning a building?
Price a hangar around your aircraft
Give wingspan, length and tail height and get quotes for a span and door that clear them.
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