Grounded airplanes find many uses, but the current coronavirus crisis has people coming up with even newer grounded aircraft applications. A mechanic has managed to convert a 1967 Vicker VC10 airliner engine nacelle into a wholly customized camper that can be fitted onto a trailer. The name of the aerospace mechanic behind this brilliant camper is Steve Jones.
Steve Jones took out the engine housing of a Vickers jetliner, number XV104, that had served in the UK’s Royal Air Force for about 45 years. The 19667 Vicker VC10 was retired in 2012 after logging in a total of 38,383 flight hours. Its airframe was sent to a scrapyard under the purview of an acquaintance of Jones’. Jones had asked this person for the engine to convert it into a customized camper.
Jones has managed to build several campers in the past, but this one has proven to be trickiest yet. It took Jones more than six years and 1,000 hours of working hard, but he made sure to pay attention to detail throughout this endeavor. His efforts have paid off because his work was featured on a British architectural show ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.’
Jones said, ‘I’ve converted lots of camper vans and caravans over the years, and used all that experience in designing and building the pod. I’m always doing weird and wacky builds, and I wanted to make something that everyone goes WOW! (sic) I think I’ve achieved that now.’ The once-Vicker-now-a-camper trailer is the first of its kind and has received offers of the purchase at more than $31,000.
It cost Jones only $4,400 to build it, and the sale would result in a humongous profit. However, Jones says that he didn’t do it for the money. He said, ‘This is for myself and family to enjoy over the next few years. I can’t get any more as they’ve all been scrapped, but I’ve got a few plans to build a Boeing 747 engine nacelle into a static caravan with two levels. That nacelle will take around the same amount of time.’
What do you think of this Vicker’s incredible transformation?
