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Moffett Field and Hangar One,
current views and historic images of the hangar under construction
in 1932 and a 1934 image of the Dirigible attached by a tether
to Hangar One. For a larger photo of the Hangar
click here.
Photograph by Judith Silva, courtesy of the City of Santa
Clara and photographs from National Register collection |
Admiral William A. Moffett is credited with the creation of the
two Naval Air Stations commissioned in the early 1930s to port
the two U.S. Naval Airships (dirigibles). One of those stations,
the Naval Air Station Sunnyvale, California, was the Pacific coast
location selected, with help from northern Californian politicians
and the leadership of the Chambers of Commerce from Mountain View
to San Jose. The site of the US Naval Air Station Sunnyvale, California,
Historic District, consists of a large number of buildings that
were constructed from the 1930s on. By far the most famous and
visible sites are Hangars #1, #2, and #3, which dwarf the surrounding
buildings, standing as testament to the engineering skills of
their builders. Towering majestically in the northeast corner
of Santa Clara Valley is Hangar #1. Named as a Naval Historical
Monument in the early 1950s, the hangar is constructed on an amazing
network of steel girders sheathed with galvanized steel. It rests
firmly upon a reinforced pad anchored to concrete pilings. The
floor covers eight acres and can accommodate 10 football fields.
"Number One," as it is popularly referred to, is 1,133 feet long
and 308 feet wide. Its walls curve upward and inward, to form
an elongated dome 198 feet high. Unique and spectacular are the
"orange peel" doors, weighing 500 tons each. The doors are operated
by an electrical control panel. Each door is powered by a 150
horsepower motor. One of the most recognizable landmarks in the
San Francisco Bay Area, Hangar #1 and the original base are significant
in the history of Naval Aviation, defense and in the development
of the Santa Clara Valley. Making use of the facility location
and landing field, NASA Ames Research Center is located to the
north adjacent to the original plaza boundary and at the north
boundary of the historic district. It was here that some of the
original moon rocks taken from the Apollo lunar landings were
studied by NASA geologists.
Interior of Hangar One
Photograph by Judith Silva, courtesy of the City of Santa
Clara |
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The hangar's interior is so large that fog sometimes forms near the
ceiling. A person unaccustomed to its vastness is susceptible to
optical disorientation. Looking across its deck, planes and tractors
look like toys. Along its length maintenance shops, inspection laboratories
and offices help keep the hangar busy. Looking up, you can see a
network of catwalks for access to all parts of the structure. Two
elevators meet near the top, allowing maintenance personnel to get
to the top quickly and easily. Narrow gauge tracks run through the
length of the hangar. During the lighter-than-air period of dirigibles
and non-rigid aircraft, the rails extended across the apron and
into the fields at each end of the hangar. This tramway facilitated
the transportation of an airship on the mooring mast to the hangar
interior or to the flight position. During the brief period that
the U.S.S. Macon was based at Moffett from October 1933 until
it was lost at sea in February 1935, Number One not only accommodated
the giant airship but several smaller non-rigid LTA craft simultaneously.
Hangar One is truly one of the most unique hangars in the world.
Hangars #2 and #3 are significant more for their size than their
unique styling or design. Along with Hangar #1, these two buildings
help define the South San Francisco Bay Area from all distant directions.
The style of the other buildings on the base is largely Spanish
Colonial Revival, mostly built in the 1930s, with some International
style buildings constructed in the 1940s and beyond. The Moffett
Field Historical Society was founded in May of 1993. Until recently, their museum was located in historic "Hangar One."
Naval Air Station Sunnyvale is located near Mountain View and Sunnyvale, California, 35 miles south of San Francisco. From Highway 101 use the Moffett Field exit. The Moffett Museum has been located in Hangar One for several years, but relocated to an adjacent building after the hangar was closed due to potential toxic chemicals. If you plan to visit, inform the guard at the main gate that you are going to the museum and follow his instructions. Call 650-603-9827 or visit the Moffett Field Museum's website for further information. |