Once it carried hundreds of passengers, there is now only one permanent passenger in this former Boeing 727. Electrical engineer Bruce Campbell bought the retired aircraft and is now it turning into his home in Portland.
He paid about $106,500, for the plane in 1999. The costs of renting a site before it was ready to relocate to its permanent home, removing the wings and tails and other logistics added another $127,700. Mr Campbell says on his website AirplaneHome.com.
He has a futon bed and has to make do with a temporary shower, but like all good planes there are plenty of toilets on board. Mr Campbell says he wanted to keep all the landing gear, passenger and emergency exit doors in tact as well as all the interior and exterior lights. “So that I could rebuild the aircraft in such a way that it will look fully operational from the outside when the project is complete.’’
The cabin and cockpit combined are about 99sq m, plus there are two large cargo holds and some equipment bays below the cabin deck. Mr Campbell also plans to put a small deck on the “second floor” inside the tail. “Retired airliners are profoundly well designed, high tech, aerospace quality sealed pressure canisters that can withstand 575mph winds and seven G acceleration forces with ease, could last for centuries (with effective corrosion control), are highly fire resistant, and provide superior security. They’re among the finest structures that mankind has ever built,’’ he says.
The cabin and cockpit combined are about 99sq m, plus there are two large cargo holds and some equipment bays below the cabin deck. Mr Campbell also plans to put a small deck on the “second floor” inside the tail. “Retired airliners are profoundly well designed, high tech, aerospace quality sealed pressure canisters that can withstand 575mph winds and seven G acceleration forces with ease, could last for centuries (with effective corrosion control), are highly fire resistant, and provide superior security. They’re among the finest structures that mankind has ever built,’’ he says.
Mr Campbell says when aircraft are retired from service they are usually cut into scrap. “To me it makes no sense at all to destroy the finest structures available and then turn around and build homes out of materials which are fundamentally a little better than pressed cardboard, using ancient and inferior design and building methods.’’
Source: news.com.au
Image Source: news.com.au
