Meet the Man Who Turned an Airplane Into a Home

Table of Content

• The interior is lined with Costa Rican teak paneling
• The airplane suite includes two fully air conditioned bedrooms
• Twitter Rumors, Unpacked: Elon Musk's Building Access, 'Space Karen' — and More
• Meanwhile, the cockpit serves as a "cyber office," according to Campbell.
• Step-by-Step Crochet Patterns Show You How To Create Your Own Houseplants

He spends six months out of the year living there, alternating between Portland and Japan. The former electrical engineer turned a Boeing 727 he bought in 1999 into a home in Portland, Oregon. Bruce lives in the plane for six months a year, spending the rest of his time in Japan, where he is also arranging to buy old fuselage to create a second aircraft home.

Hertz designed the house so that each wing rested on four concrete columns spread across the two-story living area. Bruce was in his early 20s when he purchased a 10-acre piece of land for $23,000 in the forest of Hillsboro, Oregon. From a very young age, he was fond of tinkering with old objects and creating new items from it. His idea was to create a home on the land that he purchased but the plan changed when he saw that another house has already been built there. He heard about Joanne Ussery, a hairdresser from Mississippi who bought a Boeing 727 plane and transformed it into her home.

The interior is lined with Costa Rican teak paneling

Today, the MD-80 is Axline's main living quarters, which includes a master bedroom, two sleeping areas, a living room and a kitchen. Project Freedom began in 2011 after Axline bought two retired, wingless planes, one 50 feet long and the other 60 feet. Some might be confused about how David settled on a bulky, large airplane for the base of a home that was supposed to exude feminine energy. But the way she saw it, Hertz totally transformed the once masculine structure. According to the Australian Architecture Association, Hertz's passion for building started in adolescence. As a teen, he would sneak onto construction sights to observe everything from the plans to the structure.

But finding ideas for the design actually turned out to be somewhat simple. With the eye of an architect, Hertz saw inspiration everywhere he went... And that's where the story of the "Wing House," one of David's most recognized designs, began.

The airplane suite includes two fully air conditioned bedrooms

The overhaul began in December of 1994 and lasted for four months until Joanne was finally able to reside in her lakeside plane home. Axline renovated the inside of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 by adding wood floors, LED lights, insulation, a water well, sewer system and waterproof electrical wiring. He studied at The Southern California Institute of Architecture after high school. From there, Hertz worked for another highly celebrated architect, Frank Gehry. But it wasn't long before the man opened his own architecture firm. They were then transported to the mansion via helicopter, after having to close five freeways to get them partway there.

An Oregon man turned a plane into his house in the woods.

Twitter Rumors, Unpacked: Elon Musk's Building Access, 'Space Karen' — and More

He believes that airplanes can have so much potential to be used even after they have retired. He used his imagination, an old airplane and a good piece of land to create the unique home on Earth. A few years ago Campbell purchased the aircraft for $100,000 and decided to gut it and create a living space. The airplane home, which still needs renovations to make it completely habitable, has running water and three restrooms . While there is a shower, figuring out how to install plumbing remains a challenge. Since the aircraft is in the woods, Campbell is not too concerned about the neighbors peeping in.

So all of the huge wings needed were eight columns total to be held up. But as much as Francie loved the great outdoors, her home still required walls. So David designed the main residence's shape around the curves of the wings and added concrete and glass for the walls. Campbell is also planning to duplicate his project again in Japan with a Boeing 747. He plans to purchase a retired 747 and built another home in Japan.

So Francie's main residence was built from the airplane wings, glass sheets, steel, and lots of concrete. The final product was made up of three stories, 2 bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Plus a kitchen and plenty of living space for lounging; with these views, we'd want to lounge all day. Laura Doss via david hertz architectsThe design arguably revolved around the Boeing 747's massive wings. The structures each measured a colossal 125 feet in length and 47 feet in width each.

He said,“I think most people are nerds in their hearts in some measure. The point is to have fun.”He built his water and lighting system. He repaired the original LED lights which prove more environmentally friendly. He washed off the interior of the aircraft using pressure water spray.

Killer confessed to murdering teen after eerie clues led cops to suspect him

The single BSEE recently welcomed KOIN -TV reporters into his airplane home, deep in the woodlands of Oregon. Although he has been working on it for over 10 years, one man can only do so much, so it’s still a work in progress. He managed to get one of the plane’s three toilets working, got the electricity working inside the jet and even installed a temporary shower right in the middle of the main cabin. It’s not very private, but considering he lives in the middle of the woods, it doesn’t bother him much. Although he doesn’t have a TV or radio, Bruce has an iPod Touch to keep him company as he tinkers on his dream home. Back then it had a temporary shower installed and three bathrooms, only one of which worked.

According to an online listing, there are gardens around the property with fresh herbs, veggies, fruits, and nuts. But all of the extra steps and precautions needed for when an airplane is turned into a home were well worth it. Francie's finished home is a unique masterpiece that somehow blends human technology seamlessly with the surrounding great outdoors.

Meanwhile, the cockpit serves as a "cyber office," according to Campbell.

Campbell has converted the plane to have a washing machine, sink, and makeshift shower. He makes most of his food in a toaster or microwave and eats mostly canned foods and cereal. Meet Bruce Campbell, an electrical engineer who converted a Boeing 727 he bought in 1999 into a home for $220,000. Menu icon A vertical stack of three evenly spaced horizontal lines. Bruce Campbell bought himself a Boeing 727 plane for $100,000 in 1999 and set it up as a pied-à-terre.

But still, 55 acres was plenty of land and required a big airplane if that would be the main source of construction material. And so David paid a visit to a junkyard filled with over 1,000 planes. David was a fan of traveling, and it was this hobby that led to the home's inspiration. "While I was in Scotland, actually on vacation, kind of jet-lagged, and at the airport, I had been taking pictures of airplanes about the curvilinear form," he shared with HGTV's Extreme Living. Laura Doss via david hertz architects"This was a challenge to explore my feminine side, I guess, on this project," David laughingly said.

Transporting the plane from Athens, Greece, to Oregon cost him another $120,000 and made the total cost $220,000. Laura Doss via david hertz architectsThe different parts were then hung from a helicopter and flown to the Malibu property. Laura Doss via david hertz architectsSealing it with silicone was crucial, as it permitted the wings to move even with the glass in place. Obviously, the wings needed to be held up in some way in order to form the home's roof. So how did the architect manage to prop up the 125 by 47 feet structures?

In an interview with NBC's Today Show more than 20 years ago, Jo Ann said it cost approximately $30,000 to set up the plane with necessary heating, plumping, and electrical elements. Jo Ann purchased the aircraft for $2,000 USD in 1994, had it relocated to Benoit, Mississippi, and refurbished it - mostly by herself. The unusual Mississippi home was created by beautician Jo Ann Ussery after her previous house was destroyed by a winter storm - and it's just plane awesome. This is my very dream though in fresh structure to be drew and designed by me.