The Giant Shed with a Big Backstory

In 1939 the Royal New Zealand Air Force built a hangar in which to service their newly purchased Short Sunderland aircraft at the Hobsonville air base.

The massive British flying boats were designed The RNZAF was the last organisation in the as patrol bombers and played a pivotal role world to keep the Short Sunderland in service, in World War II. Weighing over 26 tonnes fully retiring the aircraft in 1967. loaded with ordinance, and with a wingspan of 34 metres, they needed a much bigger Old buildings such as the Sunderland Hangar home than anything previously built at the are to developers what animals and children base. The construction of the hangar used a are to film directors – notoriously hard to work state-of-the-art, lightweight steel roof truss with. Most developers prefer to build new rather system to leave the internal volume of the than adapt old buildings because of the level building free of supporting posts. of difficulty involved, which is why we are so delighted to have Willis Bond & Co managing The Sunderland flying boats were critical to the Catalina Bay project. The company is New Zealand’s war effort, patrolling the Pacific experienced at what’s known in the business as and rescuing downed allied airmen. Later, TEAL, ‘adaptive reuse’ and committed to the cause of the forerunner of Air New Zealand flew a variant protecting our heritage for future generations. of the aircraft modified for passenger use on the glamorous Coral Route. TEAL employed ex RNZAF pilots who were skilled enough to land the gargantuan flying boats alongside inside coral-ringed lagoons.

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