Home to the 105th Airlift Wing and hub for a fleet of military cargo planes, Steward Air National Guard Base was seeking to create an aircraft propeller (prop) maintenance facility. Housed within the existing Building 300, the project supported an effort to bring propeller maintenance functions to all facilities responsible for maintaining the aircraft. PRIME AE developed a full design package for the shop, including a site investigation, design charrette, architectural and engineering design, interior design including SID and FF&E packages, and a hazardous materials survey.

In an effort to make the new shop practically functional for those working in it, our team dedicated time to visiting an existing prop shop at MCAS Cherry Point to interview airmen and civilian users for a detailed understanding of the operation. The trip, which was completed at no cost to the government, helped the design team develop an effective layout for the shop.

The maintenance facility includes two build mandrels and a dedicated blade balance area, worktables and associated blade racks/bearing boxes, a hydraulic test rig, tooling areas, a parts washer with exhaust hood, chemical storage, and a one-ton bridge crane running the length of the facility. Two workstations with voice and data connections were provided for Marine Corps personnel, along with one additional workstation for the equipment manufacturer.

The result is a high-tech shop keeping aircraft in safe working order to serve the needs of the nation.