Purpose-built private aircraft refinishing facility

The customer wanted to expand its private aircraft maintenance base with dedicated preparation and painting facilities, enabling aircraft inspection, refinishing and repainting to be completed at a single location.

The project comprised two purpose-built hangars: one dedicated to aircraft preparation and paint stripping, and another providing the controlled environment required for final paint application.

Unlike a conventional installation within an existing structure, this was a complete design-and-build project. The buildings and their supporting services were developed around the aircraft refinishing process from the outset.

During major maintenance, aircraft may be stripped back to bare metal so that structural components can be inspected before refinishing. The new facility therefore needed to support two distinct stages of the process while maintaining suitable separation between preparation work and final painting.

The paint hangar required a carefully controlled environment to minimise the risk of dust contamination and support the high-quality finish expected within private aviation.

The scale and complexity of the facility also required close coordination between the structural, mechanical and electrical elements. Airflow needed to perform effectively throughout the large hangar spaces, while services had to be integrated without creating unnecessary areas where dust could accumulate.

STL worked collaboratively with the client, architects, civil and structural engineers, and M&E consultants to develop the facility from the ground up.

Extensive 3D modelling was used throughout the design process to coordinate the building structure, ventilation system and supporting services. This allowed potential clashes to be identified and resolved before construction began.

Services were concealed wherever practical, helping to create a cleaner working environment with fewer exposed surfaces on which dust could collect.

Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling was used to develop and refine the ventilation design. Fifteen design iterations were completed before installation, enabling the airflow strategy to be assessed and adjusted around the building geometry and aircraft refinishing process.

The completed facility provides dedicated environments for aircraft preparation, paint stripping and final painting, allowing the customer to extend the services available from its existing maintenance base.

Following installation, more than 1,000 airflow measurements were taken throughout the hangars to verify the performance of the completed ventilation system against the design.

The result is a fully coordinated aircraft refinishing facility, designed around the aircraft, the working process and the environmental conditions required at each stage.