Following recent thread about wingtip padded cover 
I would like to know how you manage to place your aircraft(s) correctly in a hangar.
In my case, it would be a two places “tent”, which is quite narrow.
My aircraft would be in the aft part.
The tent structure is about 12m wide, the aircraft 11m. Not a lot of free space…
Are painted lines efficient ?
What about using lateral rails , screwed into the ground, so that the aircraft cannot, in any case, loose the track ?
I will be happy to read your reactions, and see pictures of your installations !
That’s similar measurements as my club hangar for PA28s – we have a centre yellow line which you run the nosewheel down, the important thing is that it starts well outside the hangar so you enter straight and in the right position. We then have a red box (one for each aircraft) which you stop the nosewheel in which gets right fore and aft spacing. You can add same for mainwheels if you want. Keeping it simple and clear works well – more lines, more risk of messing it up!
I have operated t hangars with rails in for Motorgliders but the wheels can get scrubbed / scuffed so not always helpful I found.
I use a painted line for the RH main gear (on a Bonanza); I use the Powertow electric tug and it is easy to keep the RH wheel on the painted line while steering the nosewheel with the tug. There are square boxes where the three wheels need to fit. if you think about it, the nosewheel will go in a zigag course in order to keep the main wheel on the line, also you rotate the aircraft about an axis roughly midway between the main gear.
If you are reversing in, I think it is best to paint the lines for the main gear to follow (the nose wheel is less important; it is more for an idea of approximately where it should be). As dirkdj said, you often zig zag the front wheel a bit to keep the main wheels going the right direction.
I had three lines painted in my hanger (one for each of the gear wheels, plus the nose wheel). If you did it perfectly, then all the wheels might stay on the lines. More often then not, you would keep the main wheels on target, but the nose wheel would necessarily be directed left or right. Of course you get all three wheels in the right spot at the moment you finally stopped on target.
Local club has one line for the nose wheel, plus an alignment mark at the back of the hangar. Align the tail (vertical stabiliser, or whisky compass) of the plane with the mark at the back, then place the nose wheel on the line. You are straight. Go in, watching both of them. The mark at the back of the hangar is just part of the structure thereof, top of a kind of triangular arch. In your picture, the centre spar of the tent will do nicely.
I have an extremely tight fit in my hangar. We’re talking a few inches. I need to keep flaps down, or else she doesn’t fit. I haven’t painted lines or put rails and stops in yet, but I will for sure. Every time I push her back in with the tug, it’s a risky undertaking and you really have to take your time. Can take up to 20 mins to get her back, which isn’t time efficient.
