The Jurby Transport Museum is housed in a former RAF Bellman Aircraft Hangar.
Designed by N S Bellman, the Royal Air Force Directorate of Works structural engineer, it is one of four transportable hangars built here at Jurby during the winter of 1939/1940, to the same design of around 400 built in total. Head Wrightson & Co. Ltd of Teesdale Iron Works, Thornaby-on-Tees were given the commercial rights to construct the hangars.
The structure is composed of a unit system of rolled steel lattice girders, both the walls and roof using standard units. It was 175’0” long, 87’8” wide and has a clear internal height of 25’0”.
Constructed in 14 bays each with 12 ft 6in centres, the structure is made up of rolled steel sections, wall uprights and roof beams use the same units joined by a standard corner unit.
In a trial, it took 12 men just under 42 hours to erect a hangar at Thornaby, this included levelling the ground, setting the door tracks, assembling the steelwork, and fitting oiled canvas doors. Two light jib derricks using timber poles were required to erect the fabricated vertical and side members. Roof trusses were assembled on the ground and then lifted into position.
Bad weather during the winter of 1937 caused damage to some of the Bellman hangars at Thornaby, production Bellman’s were modified to include steel-framed and steel-clad doors.
Between 1938 and 1940 over 400 Bellman hangars were built in the UK, 230 others in Australia and probably and unknown numbers under licence in other Commonwealth countries.
Bellman hangars proved their worth in the early stages of the war and met the increasing demand, to supplement permanent hangars, and provide the total hangar requirements for temporary Armament Training, Elementary Flying Training, and Air Navigation Schools across the country.
This one was used as a single engine maintenance flight hangar. It has more recently been occupied by Ramsey Coal, before being completely refurbished, including re-cladding, by the Isle of Man Government Department of Local Government and the Environment, now Infrastructure, when it was also shortened by about 15’0”.
Following refurbishment it was used as a base for the department during the construction of a new road through the industrial estate. It was then leased to Manx Transport Trust in 2009, and the museum opened at Easter 2010.
Designed by N S Bellman, the Royal Air Force Directorate of Works structural engineer, it is one of four transportable hangars built here at Jurby during the winter of 1939/1940, to the same design of around 400 built in total. Head Wrightson & Co. Ltd of Teesdale Iron Works, Thornaby-on-Tees were given the commercial rights to construct the hangars.
The structure is composed of a unit system of rolled steel lattice girders, both the walls and roof using standard units. It was 175’0” long, 87’8” wide and has a clear internal height of 25’0”.
Constructed in 14 bays each with 12 ft 6in centres, the structure is made up of rolled steel sections, wall uprights and roof beams use the same units joined by a standard corner unit.
In a trial, it took 12 men just under 42 hours to erect a hangar at Thornaby, this included levelling the ground, setting the door tracks, assembling the steelwork, and fitting oiled canvas doors. Two light jib derricks using timber poles were required to erect the fabricated vertical and side members. Roof trusses were assembled on the ground and then lifted into position.
Bad weather during the winter of 1937 caused damage to some of the Bellman hangars at Thornaby, production Bellman’s were modified to include steel-framed and steel-clad doors.
Between 1938 and 1940 over 400 Bellman hangars were built in the UK, 230 others in Australia and probably and unknown numbers under licence in other Commonwealth countries.
Bellman hangars proved their worth in the early stages of the war and met the increasing demand, to supplement permanent hangars, and provide the total hangar requirements for temporary Armament Training, Elementary Flying Training, and Air Navigation Schools across the country.
This one was used as a single engine maintenance flight hangar. It has more recently been occupied by Ramsey Coal, before being completely refurbished, including re-cladding, by the Isle of Man Government Department of Local Government and the Environment, now Infrastructure, when it was also shortened by about 15’0”.
Following refurbishment it was used as a base for the department during the construction of a new road through the industrial estate. It was then leased to Manx Transport Trust in 2009, and the museum opened at Easter 2010.
