World War II-era plane transformed into rental property
ANTIGO, Wis. (Aging Untold) — A World War II-era plane destined for the scrapyard has been converted into a five-star rental in central Wisconsin.
Joe Draeger said he purchased an aircraft in October 2022 after a company determined it had been stripped of too many parts to remain useful.
“When I was searching on Airbnb here a few years back, I saw one in Venezuela and it had more of a short modified version of a just like a cockpit and a small part of the fuselage and a short section of the wing,” Draeger said. “And I thought it’d be neat, if you’re going to do that, to do the whole thing.”
Draeger said he paid $10,000 for the plane and invested another $50,000 to remodel it with contractor Gary Fleischman.
The aircraft now includes a bathroom with shower, kitchen area with sink and refrigerator and two trundle beds that sleep four guests.
“I wasn’t sure how it was all going to lay out,” Fleischman said. “Obviously you’ve got a 60-by-8-foot tube and you have to make it into living quarters.”
After the rebuild, the plane was moved to Kempster and placed on stilts to create an airborne sensation.
The team installed motion-activated propellers made from ceiling fans with converted motors and added lighting to the wings, tail and engines.
“At night, it’s all lit up,” Draeger said. “It looks a little bit more unique at night when it’s lit.”
The plane offers views of the surrounding forest on one side and High Lake on the other.
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