Using Scrapped Jet Airliners For Alternate Housing?

I apologize if this topic was covered in the past...I didn't come up with anything on ATS's search engine. I just read a very interesting article on a guy named Bruce Campbell (no, not the actor) who converted a scrapped Boeing 727 into a home. Now this IS an expensive project...in 1999, it cost this gentleman $100,000 to buy it and another $120,000 just to move it and convert it into his home. In addition, you'd definitely need a good chunk of land, plus live in an area where a permit could be obtained for this type of project. Currently, about 600 jet airliners are scrapped every year and that number will significantly rise.

Aircraft Fleet receivable Association (AFRA) estimates 600 commercial jet airliners are scrapped yearly. By 2023 it’s estimated the number of commercial airliners scrapped will reach 1000 per-year.

The global economy’s steady growth has increased passenger traffic, which puts pressure on the airlines to purchase new aircraft for satisfying demand.

Cash is drying up for previously owned jetliners — which puts pressure to part-out, then scrap relatively newer-used aircraft.

Recently, published reports noted a shift towards an assumed obsolescence and accelerated scraping of newer airliners — well before structural integrity or air worthiness becomes a problem, middle-aged aircraft are experiencing vulnerability to an early end-of-life. Clearly, accelerated scraping of newer aircraft is not due to any structural concerns, but rather, cyclical conditions of the industry.

bigpictureone.wordpress.com...

If you have money and land, this could be a great way to "recycle" a scraped airliner by converting it to a home. Can you imagine a very wealthy philanthropist purchasing 500 scrapped airliners and converting them into homes on a large tract of land? Could be the first "airliner" park lol.

Bruce believes every old plane should be ‘upcycled’ like his has been, declaring on his website, “Jetliners can, and should, be transformed into wonderful homes – retirement into an aerospace class castle should be every airliner’s constructive fate. They should never be mindlessly scrapped.”

www.awesomeinventions.com...

a reply to: shawmanfromny

Recently, published reports noted a shift towards an assumed obsolescence and accelerated scraping of newer airliners — well before structural integrity or air worthiness becomes a problem, middle-aged aircraft are experiencing vulnerability to an early end-of-life. Clearly, accelerated scraping of newer aircraft is not due to any structural concerns, but rather, cyclical conditions of the industry.

For profit, more like. The sooner you obsolete something the sooner you have to buy a new one (wink wink).

America, the premiere throw away society.

Love it!

But how much does one cost; the delivery?

Looks heavenly to me, as long as I could keep it climate controlled and have a Large bathtub LOL!
Since I am an artist, and would love to live in my studio this would be perfect.
Probably not super safe in twister country (here) though.

A few years back I looked into shipping container home conversions for sh#ts and giggles more for my young son to use and whilst it was realistically priced as in a modest sum of money and a bit of elbow grease could have made something very liveable the simple fact is the "authorities" do not want people stepping out of the status quo,.. I was flatly refused the right to do this on land that I owned, even though I was doing it as a recycling project that would use solar power etc etc and would be not affect anyone locally..

I love people doing this type of stuff esp if they make it work stepping out of what society see's as normal, sadly in the future I predict that such ventures would not see the light of day. The lack of an affordable housing market is very good news for the fat cats..


Cannot let the pleads beat the system.

RA

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Good question. It has to be a huge amount. Check these pics out from several years back. I bet there are many people who don't even realize how many commercial jet airplanes are waiting to be scrapped. Seems like a lot of potential homes, just like Bruce Campbell stated in the article.

Boeing Boeing gone! The amazing Californian scrap yard where jumbo jets from around the globe are sent to die... but some might be rescued from beyond the grave

www.dailymail.co.uk...

a reply to: slider1982

Look into an "agricultural exemption".

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: shawmanfromny

Recently, published reports noted a shift towards an assumed obsolescence and accelerated scraping of newer airliners — well before structural integrity or air worthiness becomes a problem, middle-aged aircraft are experiencing vulnerability to an early end-of-life. Clearly, accelerated scraping of newer aircraft is not due to any structural concerns, but rather, cyclical conditions of the industry.

For profit, more like. The sooner you obsolete something the sooner you have to buy a new one (wink wink)

Actually, as the industry becomes more distressed, they offer increasingly more friendly contracts to the airlines (lower prices, better product support, flexibility to change orders to reflect future changes in the market, palatable lease options, etc). When you combine that with generally better reliability and efficiency from newer products, it's simply a better business decision for many carriers to retire older models faster than previously.
So, yes, for profit, but not in the way you seem to be suggesting. Carriers are ridiculously cost conscious. They aren't buying new planes just as a *wink, wink* for Boeing or Airbus, etc

Hey Zaphod I found you're retirement home!!!!

originally posted by: dragonlover12
Looks heavenly to me, as long as I could keep it climate controlled and have a Large bathtub LOL!

Should be pretty easy to keep it climate controlled. It's damn cold up there and the interior stays warm.

a reply to: shawmanfromny

I like the plexiglass floor so you can see the structure. I'd think you'd want to clip the wings a bit, but it would be such a fun project if you had they money and a place to put it.

It all sounds good, but it's probably a crappy thing to live in. Condensation, difficult to heat and cool. Probably last twenty years before it falls to pieces.

I guess some people may be a little more enthusiastic, but hey, I live in a house that goes back to 1730, so I can be a snob when it comes to longevity.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: shawmanfromny

Recently, published reports noted a shift towards an assumed obsolescence and accelerated scraping of newer airliners — well before structural integrity or air worthiness becomes a problem, middle-aged aircraft are experiencing vulnerability to an early end-of-life. Clearly, accelerated scraping of newer aircraft is not due to any structural concerns, but rather, cyclical conditions of the industry.

For profit, more like. The sooner you obsolete something the sooner you have to buy a new one (wink wink).

America, the premiere throw away society.

The industry is driven by efficiency now. 4 engine airliners are pretty much a thing of the past. 747s are being retired by all of the passenger carrying airlines. Airbus has seen demand for the 380 disappear. What is selling now are the twinjet widebodies like the 777 and 787 and the Airbus 350. All the fuel hog planes like the 727 and MD-80 series are being recycled into beer cans. It costs a fortune to get a Supplemental Type Certificate to put efficiency aiding winglets or sharlkets on a plane that wasn't certified with them. No one wants to feed the gas guzzling JT-8D or JT-3D or CFM56.

Not a good idea. Too much chemical residue and heavy metal contamination.

originally posted by: JIMC5499
Not a good idea. Too much chemical residue and heavy metal contamination.

But better than a shipping container isn't it? Those were the fad 10 years ago.

a reply to: RadioRobert

So, yes, for profit, but not in the way you seem to be suggesting. Carriers are ridiculously cost conscious.

Thanks for agreeing with me.

Planned obsolescence goes back to the first lightbulb, battery and Super very enhanced color graphics monitor adapter (SVGA).

America is a few percent of the world population yet we consume 25 percent of the worlds resources.

a reply to: F4guy

All the fuel hog planes like the 727 and MD-80 series are being recycled into beer cans.

Because its costly to scrap airframes. They are made of aluminum, considered lo grade, 'Irony' or 'dirty' by industry recyclers because of all the rivets, steel, hydraulics, oils, plastic, etc.

Scrapping just one is a complex, time consuming, expensive process. Thats why so many continue to sit in the desert.

As a poster above said, I wouldn't want to live around the chemicals that are in the airplane. The fire retardant that's sprayed on everything is bad enough for you just flying on an airplane, much less living on one.

The best thing to use for alternative, low-cost housing is shipping containers. They're relatively cheap, thanks to so many of them being manufactured. They're sturdy, easy to put electricity and plumbing into, and probably could be insulated enough to be nice and cozy. They would also be nice and lockable. Not the Ritz, but better than a cardboard box under a freeway overpass.

www.curbed.com...

He needs a C-130 Tail section for a garage.