McDonald Air completes Embry-Riddle aviation complex so students can soar
.jpg "Flight Operations")
“To infinity…and beyond!” The slogan of “Toy Story’s” space hero Buzz Lightyear could also serve as the motto for students attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University—because into the wild blue yonder is exactly where they’re planning to go.
Here on the ground, SMACNA contractor McDonald Air and Sheet Metal Inc., Orlando, Fla., is enabling them to design, engineer, maintain, and fly aircraft at the best aerospace university in the world.
McDonald Air recently manufactured and installed the ductwork in three new buildings at the university’s 97,500 square-foot James Hagedorn Aviation Complex in Daytona Beach, Fla. The $1 million project included the Flight Operations Building, the Emil Buehler Aviation Maintenance Science Building, and the Samuel M. Goldman Fleet Maintenance Hangar.
.jpg "Aviation building weld shop")
The Flight Operations Center is a two-story 33,850-square-foot building containing everything needed to dispatch and retrieve student training aircraft, including a control tower, an observation lounge, and flight and ground traffic control.
The three-story, 48,680-square-foot Aviation Maintenance Science Building houses classrooms and laboratories to support the university’s Aviation Maintenance Science degree programs.
And at the 15,020-square-foot Fleet Maintenance Hangar, the university maintains five Cessna training aircraft—all at one time.
.jpg "duct penetrating")
In the Aviation Maintenance Science Building, 30,000 pounds of galvanized duct and 60,000 pounds of aluminum duct were used, along with stainless steel, double-wall, and spiral duct.
The Aviation building’s laboratories are dedicated to aircraft systems, turbine engines, metallic and composite materials, avionics, and avionics electronics, and required ventilation and exhaust duct.
.jpg "Coordination of ductwork was important.")
One major challenge was to make sure the exposed aluminum duct in the Aviation building was plumb and level. The building also contains faculty offices, classrooms, and shop labs.
The Hagedorn Aviation Complex is adjacent to Daytona Beach International Airport and consists of seven buildings that support more than 2,000 students.
Click here to see a YouTube video covering the opening of these three final buildings in the Hagedorn Aviation Complex. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace.
Case Study Date: FEB 10, 2014