Historical and Architectural Overview of Aircraft Hangars of the Reserves and National Guard Installations from World War I through the Cold War: History of Aviation in National Guard, Vietnam

The history of the U.S. armed forces in the twentieth century is inexorably linked with the development of aviation. Aircraft have had a place in military missions and force development since the Wright brothers demonstrated their invention to Army officials at Fort Myer, Virginia, in 1909. Over the next century, military aviation grew from a fledgling experiment to a multifaceted, technologically advanced program of unquestioned importance. This trend is well represented in the evolution of hangar design. Early hangars were simple, small, and impermanent, while hangars in the latter decades of the century were comparatively massive and designed to serve the complex needs of modern aircraft and military missions. Indeed, aviation has become an important component of all services of the U.S. military. Moreover, aviators serve in the Active, Guard, and Reserve components of the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy. Aircraft hangars are a monumental reflection of this history.

The architectural history of military hangars and airfields has been thoroughly documented for the active branches of the military. This Department of Defense Legacy Program report comprises a historic context that explores the history of aviation and hangar development in the Reserves and National Guard. This historic context provides a framework and apparatus that the National Guard and Reserves can utilize in the National Register of Historic Places eligibility process. Therefore, this document enables compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.

1.0 INTRODUCTION * 1.1 Project Description * 1.2 Methodology * 1.3 How to Use This Document * 1.4 Acknowledgements * 2.0 HISTORY OF AVIATION IN THE NATIONAL GUARD * 2.1 Overview History of the National Guard * 2.1.1 History of Aviation in the National Guard * 2.1.2 Korean Conflict * 2.1.3 Between Korea and Vietnam (1953-1961) * 2.1.4 Vietnam War and the 1970s * 2.1.5 1980s and Post-Cold War * 3.0 RESERVES * 3.1 Overview History of the Reserves * 3.1.1 Overview History of the Army Reserves * 3.1.2 Overview History of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Reserves * 3.2 History of Aviation in the Reserves * 3.2.1 Army and Air Force Reserves * 3.2.2 History of Aviation in the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve * 4.0 AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT AND HANGAR CONSTRUCTION * 4.1 Overview * 4.2 Military Aircraft * 4.2.1 Army and Air Force * 4.2.2 Navy and Marine Corps * 4.3 Hangar Construction * 4.3.1 Army and Air Force * 4.3.2 Navy and Marine Corps * 5.0 HANGAR DESIGN * 5.1 Primary Construction Material and Spanning Systems * 5.1.1 Wood Construction * 5.2 Spanning Systems in Wood Hangars * 5.2.1 Concrete Construction * 5.3 Spanning System Design * 5.3.1 Steel Construction * 5.4 Spanning Systems * 5.5 Primary Form and Access * 5.5.1 Hangar Form and Cross Section * 6.0 IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE HANGARS * 6.1 Property Identification and Methodology * 6.2 National Register of Historic Places Criteria and Historic Properties * 6.3 Issues Related to Evaluating Hangars Using this Historic Context * 6.4 Applying the National Register of Historic Places Criteria to Hangars * 6.4.1 Criterion A: Events or Broad Patterns * 6.4.2 Criterion B: Person * 6.4.3 Criterion C: Design/Construction * 6.4.4 Criterion D: Yield Information * 7.0 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION * 7.1 Recommendations * 8.0 SOURCES * APPENDICES * APPENDIX A: Acronyms and Abbreviations * APPENDIX B: Database * APPENDIX C: Weber's Table on Shapes * APPENDIX D: Representational Hangars * APPENDIX E: Preparers