Aerospace & Defense

Fire and Gas Safety for Aircraft Hangars and Defense Facilities

Aircraft hangars, maintenance bases and defense production sites combine very high asset values, large open spaces and hazards that develop in seconds. ZE-Tronics engineers flame detection, alarm and suppression control that respond fast and stay quiet when nothing is wrong.

Discuss Your Hangar or Defense Facility All Industries

Industry

Aerospace and defense facilities protect assets that are extremely expensive, hard to replace and often mission-critical: aircraft, engines, avionics, munitions and the buildings that house them. ZE-Tronics provides specialised flame detection, fire and gas safety, alarm control and suppression integration for these environments — from large aircraft hangars and maintenance bases to defense production and storage sites.

Our work is engineering-led: we study the space and the hazard, select detection that is fast without being nervous, and connect it to the suppression and alarm systems so that the whole chain behaves correctly when it matters.

Facilities we protect

Aircraft hangars — commercial, business-aviation and military hangars with foam or water-based suppression.
MRO and maintenance bases — fuel-tank maintenance bays, paint and stripping hangars, engine shops and component workshops.
Airport and airbase support facilities — fuel farms, hydrant pump stations, ground-support equipment garages, battery and electrical rooms.
Defense production — areas where propellants, explosives or pyrotechnic materials are processed.
Storage and technical areas — magazines, vehicle and equipment depots, control rooms and data rooms.

Aircraft hangar protection

Hangar fire protection is technically demanding. The main difficulties are well known across the industry:

Challenge	Why it matters	How we address it
Very large floor area and height	Smoke and heat dilute before they reach ceiling detectors.	Optical flame detectors that see the fire directly across the floor.
Obstructions	Wings, fuselage, stands and equipment create shadows.	Coverage mapping with the largest aircraft in its parking positions; detectors at more than one height where needed.
Open hangar doors	Sunlight, reflections, vehicle lights and hot engine exhausts outside are visible to detectors.	Multispectrum IR detectors with proven false-alarm immunity and carefully chosen viewing angles.
Electromagnetic interference	Avionics, radar and ground power generate strong electrical noise.	Detectors and wiring with appropriate EMC performance, correct screening and earthing.
Speed	A spill fire under an aircraft can damage the structure within seconds.	Direct flame detection and a short, tested path from detection to release.

We typically specify multispectrum infrared detectors such as the Det-Tronics X3301, with UV/IR detectors where the application calls for them. Detection is connected to a fire and life-safety controller that releases high-expansion foam, low-level foam or deluge systems, drives e2S sounders and beacons, and reports to the building and airfield systems.

Relevant capabilities

Multispectrum infrared and UV/IR flame detection
Fire and life-safety control panels with releasing functions
Foam, deluge and water-spray activation, with abort and manual release stations
Audible and visual notification, voice alarm interfaces
Detector coverage engineering and cause-and-effect configuration
Testing, commissioning and periodic functional testing

Defense and energetic-material manufacturing

Facilities producing or processing propellants, explosives, pyrotechnic materials and similar energetic products can require exceptionally fast flame detection and automatic releasing systems. Det-Tronics classifies high-speed systems as responding in no more than 500 milliseconds and ultra-high-speed systems in no more than 100 milliseconds for these applications. Reaching those figures depends on the detector, the releasing controller and the valve being engineered and tested together — which is why we treat them as one system rather than a list of components.

Storage and technical areas on defense sites add their own needs: early smoke detection for control and data rooms (see our Securiton aspirating systems), gaseous suppression for electrical rooms, and fire alarm systems from manufacturers such as Autronica and Kidde.

Other hazards on aviation and defense sites

Fuel vapour in tank-maintenance bays and fuel farms — combustible gas detection interlocked with ventilation.
Solvent vapour in paint and stripping hangars — Ex-rated detection and alarm equipment.
Hydrogen from battery charging — gas detection and ventilation control.
Engine test cells and enclosures — flame and heat detection with gaseous or water-mist suppression.

Standards and references

NFPA 409 — Standard on Aircraft Hangars; NFPA 410 — Aircraft Maintenance
FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 7-93 — aircraft hangars
UFC 4-211-01 — aircraft maintenance hangars (military projects)
NFPA 72 — fire alarm and signaling; NFPA 11, 15 and 16 — foam, water spray and foam-water systems
UFC 3-600-01 and NFPA 15 — referenced for high-speed deluge in energetic-material areas
IEC 60079 series — equipment and installation in explosive atmospheres

The owner’s specification, insurer requirements and local fire-safety rules define the final design basis.

How we deliver

We follow the same lifecycle as on our oil and gas projects: risk review and concept design, detailed engineering, certified equipment supply, installation and commissioning, calibration and long-term maintenance. Our Baku team includes CompEx-certified technicians, an electronics repair laboratory and a stock of critical spares in Baku and London.

Our Approach

Fast where it must be fast, quiet where it must be quiet

A missed fire in a hangar can destroy an aircraft; an unwanted foam discharge can ground it for days. We balance both risks: detector coverage is mapped around the aircraft, false-alarm sources are identified before equipment is chosen, release logic is agreed with the fire authority and the operator, and every function is proven during commissioning.

Capabilities

Integrated safety, end to end

Hangar flame detection

Multispectrum IR detectors positioned to see under wings and fuselage, immune to sunlight and hot exhausts at open doors.

Foam and deluge release control

Detection-to-release logic for high-expansion foam, low-level foam and deluge, with abort and manual controls.

High-speed detection and release

Optical detection with fast releasing systems for energetic-material processing areas.

Hazardous-area equipment

Ex-certified detectors and alarm devices for fuel, paint and solvent areas.

Alarm and evacuation

Sounders, beacons and voice alarm that remain clear over engine and hangar noise.

Testing and maintenance

Functional testing, detector cleaning and calibration, spares and electronics repair in Baku.

Protection across the complete asset lifecycle

01 Engineering

02 Procurement

03 Installation

04 Commissioning

05 Calibration

06 Maintenance

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which standard applies to aircraft hangar fire protection?

NFPA 409, the Standard on Aircraft Hangars, is the most widely used reference. Depending on the owner, FM Global Data Sheet 7-93 or UFC 4-211-01 for military hangars may also apply, together with NFPA 72 for alarm systems and the foam and water-spray standards for the suppression system.

Why are optical flame detectors used in hangars instead of smoke detectors?

Hangars are tall and open, so smoke is diluted and stratifies before it reaches the roof. A fuel fire under an aircraft must be detected in seconds. Multispectrum infrared flame detectors see the fire directly across the floor and can be set to ignore sunlight, lighting and hot engine parts.

How do you prevent unwanted foam discharges?

By choosing detectors with proven false-alarm immunity, mapping their coverage around the aircraft, using confirmation logic between detectors, adding abort and manual release stations, and testing the full sequence before handover. Maintenance keeps detector windows clean and settings unchanged.

What is high-speed and ultra-high-speed flame detection?

For energetic-material manufacturing, Det-Tronics describes high-speed systems as responding in no more than 500 milliseconds and ultra-high-speed systems in no more than 100 milliseconds, measured from exposure to water flow. Achieving this depends on the detector, the releasing controller and the deluge valve working as one listed system.

Do you work on existing hangars and defense sites?

Yes. We survey the installed system, check coverage and compliance against the current standard, and plan upgrades that keep the facility protected throughout the work.