When it comes to imagination, the sky is the limit. The same goes for Gino Lucci, a US Air Force retiree from Nashville, Michigan. According to a video uploaded by Barcroft Cars on YouTube, Lucci has dreamt of converting an airplane into an RV since he was eight years old.
Coming from a family fond of building motorhomes, Lucci has successfully transformed an old 1943 Douglas R4D aircraft into a fully-functioning motorhome he named “The Fabulous Flamingo.”
The plane had soared the South American horizons before it had been on the ground for over 30 years.
Lucci and his family have worked day and night to give the derelict aircraft new life after his son located the fuselage in Missouri in a “very poor” condition. In fact, just combining the plane with the chassis of their old delivery truck took three months to accomplish.
“The process we used to merge the two was very hillbilly scientific,” he shared. They pulled the truck next to the aircraft while it was on a flatbed trailer. They then took measurements, cut the plane accordingly, and fused the airframe onto the chassis.
“It was exciting—the challenge of it. Every day, it was just fun,” he added.
Their hard work paid off and the rig is now road-worthy after a year of revamping and another two years of fine-tuning details down to the very last bolt. Measuring 38 ft. in length, The Fabulous Flamingo is powered by a DT466 7.6L engine.
Lucci went for the retro vibes in creating the 17,000-lb rig and added mirrors repurposed from a 1970 Ford pick-up truck. Apart from the body, he also reused the plane’s old tip tanks, which are now fenders.
The vehicle’s interior does not veer away from its origin. Lucci reinstalled the overhead panel, which was stripped out when they bought the plane, and he also retained the plane’s original intercom which still works. Other than that, Lucci’s customization has given the airplane new life with its blue interior and the addition of beds, a table, a kitchen sink, an oven, and plenty of storage. There is also a master suite that features two beds and more storage space, exuding a homey feel.
Lucci’s project cost him $20,000, taking vehicle transformation into new heights.
