Meet the man who lives on a Boeing 727 in the forest

This aeroplane home takes living to new heights

A Boeing 727 is the last thing you'd expect to see nestled in a clearing in a forest in Oregon. Even more surprising still, the retired aircraft is home to former electrical engineer, Bruce Campbell.

Complete with a cockpit, airline seats and flight controls, home conversions don't get much more extraordinary than this.

Read on as we lift open the hatch door and discover how this pioneering homeowner took residential architecture to new heights...

Sourcing his new home

In 1999, Bruce Campbell sourced the plane from a site close to Hillsboro Airport in Washington County, Oregon, paying $100,000 (£77k) for the aircraft.

He then spent a further $96,000 (£74k) on moving the vehicle and renting a staging site to temporarily house the plane.

Living mortgage-free

Bruce loved the prospect of living mortgage-free, rejecting the idea of taking on debt from a young age.

For years, he lived in an inexpensive and humble mobile tiny house, saving money to be able to purchase a property outright.

Reclaiming something special

Most aircraft are stripped and shredded when they retire and it's estimated that three planes are decommissioned and destroyed every single day.

Bruce saw this as a huge missed opportunity, so he set about proving that these winged vehicles could be given a second lease of life as residential homes.

Untapped potential

As a self-confessed aeronautics enthusiast, Bruce saw the huge potential that a Boeing 727 afforded. He pictured the interior without chairs or people and realised how much room the vehicle offered.

In fact, a 727 cabin and flight deck provides 1,066 square feet (99sqm) of space, while two large cargo holds and equipment bays offer additional storage. For Bruce, turning a retired plane into a home was a no-brainer!

On the move

We've seen our fair share of vehicle conversions, but this one is among the most challenging. Bruce hired local contractors to tow the plane down the road to its current woodland setting.

The tricky process required the removal of the wings and tail prior to transportation, with the plane pulled along normal roads to its final resting place.

Packed with gadgets

Incredibly strong, aeroplanes are built to last, making them a highly durable and practical space to call home.

Bruce loves his unusual living environment, stating: "It's a great toy. Trick doors, trick floors. Hatches here, latches there, clever gadgets everywhere... It's a constant exploratory adventure, ever entertaining, providing fundamental sustenance for an old technology nerd like me."

A natural fit

For Bruce, living in a 727 has always felt extremely natural, fulfilling every basic need and then some.

The structure features an electronics bay, a water tank and climate control ducts. Plus, since the plane is basically a pressure canister, it stays clean, warm and insect-free all year round.

Additional connections

In fact, only minor modifications are needed to make a plane liveable – something that Bruce is keen to sing about.

Since aircraft already have connection ports for water and sewage, you can simply plug them in and you're good to go. No changes to the plane’s plumbing are necessary, either, except to the lavatories to ensure thorough flushing.

Added comfort

To make his plane home even more comfortable, Bruce added polyethylene water lines and plumbing components to clean his clothes and enjoy hot, powerful showers.

These additional connections also power his domestic water heater and multi-use sink – not bad for a tired mode of transport!

Minimal waste

There's also one sewage connection for both of the home’s fully functional toilets, along with a rainwater drain mast that allows the home's greywater to simply run out onto the grass outside.

Support structure

After it was moved from the "aeroplane graveyard", as Bruce puts it, the vehicle was placed on temporary supports (pictured). Today, it rests on two permanent landing gear support pillars, formed from concrete.

Earthquake protection

Since Portland and the surrounding area are prone to intense earthquakes, the concrete pillars are designed with a concave divet to allow the aircraft to move freely during any sudden or violent environmental disasters.

The wheels remain fully intact and simply sit neatly on top of the supports.

Anti-shock system

A chain is also anchored to each of the pillars and attached through an anti-shock polymer buffer to the main struts, keeping the plane safely in place but allowing it some wriggle room.

This way, the plane can move slightly to protect itself from shocks.

Retractable entrance

Bruce enters his home via an original, retractable staircase, which he simply raises when he leaves the plane for a prolonged period of time, keeping his property safe and secure.

Interior transformation

Inside, he has kept much of the interior relatively intact, allowing the history of the vehicle to speak volumes.

You can witness visible custom-contoured titanium air ducts with welded seams, as well as original windows, seats and light fixtures – Bruce made these more efficient by replacing the bulbs.

Respecting the design

For Bruce, making unnecessary changes to the interior would have been disrespectful.

Describing the Boeing's design and fabrication, he said it's "a whale of a class act and has my full rationally founded respect. So I retain it wherever possible, which is almost everywhere."

Small tweaks

One change he did make, however, was to the floor. To show off the jet's specialist equipment, Bruce created a transparent surface, which exposes the aft cargo compartment and its components.

The floor was created from see-through acrylic panels that he repurposed from a previous project.

Main living area

The aft compartment of the aircraft, which lies towards the rear tail, is now Bruce’s main living space, complete with a large desk where he tinkers on different elements of the plane.

The airy space is also home to his kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.

Simple lifestyle

At night, Bruce sleeps on a simple fold-away futon, which can be converted into a sofa in the daytime, offering a practical space-saving solution for the snug living area.

Practical space

There's a small, basic kitchen where you can make simple meals with the microwave or toaster.

An original 727 serving cart doubles up as a storage unit for all of his canned goods, while the sink and laundry facilities are also found here.

Ingenious solutions

The plane comes complete with two natural toilets and a makeshift shower, created from a plastic tray and a wrapped sheet that forms a screened tub.

The shower was supposed to be a temporary solution, but Bruce rather enjoys its primitive nature and says it works perfectly for his needs.

Original features

The flight deck is still a glorious sight for aviation fans. While lots of the panels and controls were stripped by the plane's salvage company, Bruce has managed to source and replace many of the desk's missing elements, recreating the original set-up as closely as he could.

His efforts were worth it, as this space remains one of the home's most interesting features.

Welcoming guests

After completing his house, Bruce began welcoming visitors to the quirky property. His unique project steadily gained interest and the skilled DIY enthusiast now loves showing people around and educating them on why planes make fantastic living environments.

He has starred in numerous YouTube videos, offering a Cribs-style tour of his aeroplane home. This includes a tour with Unkle Heavy.

Home rules

Bruce just has one rule for his guests: they must leave their shoes at the entrance and wear Japanese-inspired slippers before walking through the plane.

This way, Bruce keeps his home nice and clean and the acrylic floor is protected from scuff marks.

Protective shelters

Knowing that 727 planes float beautifully, Bruce hopes that in the future they might be used as protective shelters for areas affected by environmental disasters.

He suggests that places like Japan could really benefit from utilising aircraft in this way, as well as providing additional housing for an over-populated country.

Giving retired planes purpose

Bruce hopes to change the attitude of what he sees as our throwaway culture by educating people from all over the world, who reach out to him and visit the plane.

Instead of destroying perfectly practical and useful vehicles, he wants the world to embrace planes and repurpose them, even after they've been retired from flying.

Concert on a wing

Bruce even hosts live music events on the right wing of the aircraft. Aptly named Concert on a Wing, these popular celebrations give people the opportunity to visit his home, while enjoying food, drink and music.

He also offers tours of his plane (prior contact and booking is essential), to promote this unique style of living.

Helping others

As well as sharing his expertise with people who might want to create a similar home for themselves, Bruce's website also offers links to similar success stories, as well as plane auction listings.

It's clear Bruce is committed to encouraging others to take an alternative approach to housing and consider how redundant vehicles, such as planes, trains and automobiles, could be brilliant homes.

The future of housing?

The aero enthusiast estimates that you could create your own recycled home from a Boeing 727 for as little as $50,000 (£39k).

With minimal work required, a sturdy shell to work with and endless interior design possibilities, living in an old plane could well be the future of housing.

The next venture

Bruce is also in the process of creating a second aeroplane home, using a Boeing 747-400, in the Japanese city of Miyazaki. According to Bruce, the project is currently on hold, pending resolution of two substantial hurdles, one being successful funding.

Are you inspired to tackle your own amazing conversion project? We certainly are!