However, it has a
drawback. *For a given floor area, it will only hold about half as
many gliders as an open hangar stuffed by an expert so in comparison,
its an expensive solution


This assertion is only somewhat accurate. The Carousel Hangar at
Moriarty is 84x84 ft (7,056 sq. ft.) and holds eight gliders, ranging
in wingspan from 13 M to 17 M. It has one door so that all gliders
exit in one direction to only one taxiway access point. To be sure,
more gliders could be "stuffed" into the space, but it will take more
than one "expert-" (more likely three people) to extract and position
all the gliders and the hangar rash risk is very high. The biggest
advantage, outside of the single door access (read: less build cost
(doors and taxiways are not cheap) is that ONE person can pull out his/
her glider without help and without potential damage to other aircraft
and store it, once again without moving or risking damage to fellow
pilots' gliders.

As far as the statement that the hangar will only hold "half as many "
gliders, I invite you all to play a game with accurately sized paper
models and see how many gliders you can stuff into the 84x84 ft.
space. The best I have been able to do is 11. And I don't even want to
think about the number of scratched canopies, dinged winglets and
other dumbass errors are involved with extracting 10 gliders to get
the poor ******* corner queen out for a flight. Not to mention
reloading the hangar before flying, unloading it to stick the
aforesaid corner queen back in and shoving all the others back into
place.after the day is done.

With the carousel, any pilot can have his/her glider to the front in a
maximum of 2 1/2 minutes, ready to push out. And it doesn't take three
(or even two) people. Or individual dollies.

I had my glider in the carousel for two years, and it took me about 9
minutes from opening the door to closing the door prior to the flight.
Same with the return.

If you price the build cost of a hangar, don't be surprised to find
out that doors and access on two sides to two taxiways costs more than
one door AND THE CAROUSEL!

The only thing better is to have your own hangar with a big enough
door. Ask me how I know this.

Mark Mocho