{"id":14381,"date":"2025-11-16T11:21:50","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T18:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=14381"},"modified":"2025-11-16T11:21:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T18:21:50","slug":"world-war-ii-airplane-converted-into-a-motorhome-turns-heads-in-wyoming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2025\/11\/16\/world-war-ii-airplane-converted-into-a-motorhome-turns-heads-in-wyoming\/","title":{"rendered":"World War II Airplane Converted Into A Motorhome Turns Heads In Wyoming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A very interesting custom built motorhome. It reminds me of my shop class teacher that converted an old army amphibian vehicle into a motorhome houseboat. He had lost his first one to fire, and having enjoyed it so much he made another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/cowboystatedaily.com\/2025\/11\/15\/fabulous-flamingo-airplane-turned-motorhome-turns-heads-in-wyoming\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
A World War II airplane that’s been converted into a one-of-a-kind motorhome was recently spotted in Wyoming. The owner of the “Fabulous Flamingo” cruised into Greybull to look at other vintage aircraft that could be converted into motorhomes.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

By Andrew Rossi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The “Fabulous Flamingo” is a World War II airplane that’s been converted into a one-of-a-kind motorhome. It was recently spotted in Wyoming as its owner cruised into Greybull to look at another vintage aircraft that could be converted into a motorhome. (Courtesy The Fabulous Flamingo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Gino Lucci had to get to Greybull to pick up the Lockheed P-2 Neptune he purchased from Big Horn County, there was no question how he would catch his flight. It was a prime time to take the \u201cFabulous Flamingo\u201d for a drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fabulous Flamingo is a one-of-a-kind motorhome. It\u2019s the fuselage of a World War II-era Douglas R4D set on the chassis of an International 4300, powered by a Navistar DT466 engine (since everyone keeps asking).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 38 feet long, over 12 feet tall, has a maximum speed of around 70 mph, and gets around 10 miles to the gallon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pretty happy with 10 miles per gallon, which is the same as a V-10 pickup truck,\u201d Lucci said. \u201cShe\u2019s not feeling good right now, so it\u2019s closer to 7-8 miles per gallon, but the fuel quality picks up the longer we stay in one area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thermopolis residents noticed the Fabulous Flamingo parked outside the 7 Lazy S Caf\u00e9 and Bar. Lucci knows his motorhome turns heads wherever he goes, making him quite proud of his \u201clabor of love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy wife says they\u2019re going to dig a hole big enough to bury me in it,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve wanted to do it since I was 8 years old, decided to build it when I was getting towards 50, and took it on a trip for my 50th birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Bit Twisted<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lucci is the owner and founder of Round Engine Aero<\/a> in Nashville, Michigan. They specialize in restoring pre-1970 aircraft and supplying parts to the antique aircraft community, serving everyone from amateur pilots to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The genesis of the Fabulous Flamingo was the NBC show Real People, which ran from 1979 to 1984. Lucci vividly recalls watching an episode where someone drove to the beach in an airplane they\u2019d converted into a motorhome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought that was awesome,\u201d he said. \u201cA whole airplane turned into a motorhome. And I thought, \u2018I\u2019m going to build one of those someday.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decades later, including 25 years as a specialized mechanic in the U.S. Air Force, Lucci acquired two vintage aircraft sitting in Rolla, Missouri: Ada Red, a Douglas C-47-DL that dropped paratroopers over Normandy on D-Day, and a heavily damaged Douglas R4D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was in a tornado in 2008 that twisted, kinked, and damaged her beyond repair,\u201d he said. \u201cSince it lay on the ground for about 30 years, the bottom of it was corroded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both planes were headed for the scrapyard. Lucci saved them both, hoping to preserve the history of the Ada Red while seeing the twisted Douglas R4D as \u201cthe perfect candidate\u201d to fulfill his childhood dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe pulled the truck next to the airplane, took a couple of dimensions, and figured out where we were going to cut,\u201d he said. \u201cWe just started going from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucci said he knows most of the people in \u201cthe warbird community.\u201d None of them are interested in a project on the scale of what he and his team endeavored to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t have a desire to do this,\u201d he said. \u201cMost guys aren\u2019t going to do this. We\u2019re kind of nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ironic twist is that halfway through the project, Lucci learned he\u2019s been inspired by a lie. The airplane motorhome he saw on Real People didn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe found out it was nothing but a movie prop,\u201d he said. \u201cThey had a shower curtain on the back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hillbilly Engineering<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no instructional guide on how to turn a World War II aircraft into a functioning and road-legal motorhome. When they started the Fabulous Flamingo project in 2018, Lucci, his family, and his team had to use their existing knowledge of vintage aircraft as a guide, and that wasn\u2019t infallible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll the plans we had that were laid out went out the window when we started cutting the airplane, because we learned all the different stuff about how the airplane was built,\u201d he said. \u201cWe rebuilt that thing probably three or four times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chassis for the motorhome was easy enough. The dashboard, wiring, steering, and brakes from the International 4300 were kept intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Douglas R4D was disassembled, gutted, power-washed, and slowly reassembled while the unique kinks were worked out. Lucci categorized it as “hillbilly engineering.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project really came together during the COVID-19 pandemic. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, everyone redoubled their efforts to actualize the Fabulous Flamingo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe banged this out as hard as we possibly could,\u201d he said. \u201cWe’re talking 12-to 13-hour days. Sometimes you’d wake up at 3 a.m. with an idea of how we needed to do something and we\u2019d have right at it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything from the original aircraft that could be retained was, and many things were and are still being acquired to add more authenticity to the interior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt looks like a motorhome, but everything inside has to be airplane,\u201d he said. \u201cAll the woodwork inside is Sitka spruce spars from World War II airplanes. All the clocks are old military airplane clocks. We have a regular couch in there now, but we found a good couch out of an old airliner that will turn into a bed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest acquisition is a sheet of \u201cFirst Lady Pink\u201d laminate. It\u2019s the same laminate that once graced the interior of Air Force One.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe table we have inside will be remade into that correct color,\u201d Lucci said. \u201cWe’re a little weird about it, but that’s how we want it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And everything from the bedsheets to the curtains is covered in a bright pink flamingo pattern, his wife\u2019s favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything\u2019s flamingoes,\u201d he said. \u201cKeeping in tune with the Fabulous Flamingo theme.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And how much did this ambitious endeavor cost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve put around $20,000 into it,\u201d he said. \u201cThe chassis was relatively cheap, and the airplane itself was only a few thousand dollars. Most of the money (was spent) trying to get the airplane apart and shipping it back home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The “Fabulous Flamingo” is a World War II airplane that’s been converted into a one-of-a-kind motorhome. It was recently spotted in Wyoming as its owner cruised into Greybull to look at another vintage aircraft that could be converted into a motorhome. (Courtesy The Fabulous Flamingo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The “Fabulous Flamingo” is a World War II airplane that’s been converted into a one-of-a-kind motorhome. It was recently spotted in Wyoming as its owner cruised into Greybull to look at another vintage aircraft that could be converted into a motorhome. (Courtesy The Fabulous Flamingo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The “Fabulous Flamingo” is a World War II airplane that’s been converted into a one-of-a-kind motorhome. It was recently spotted in Wyoming as its owner cruised into Greybull to look at another vintage aircraft that could be converted into a motorhome. (Courtesy The Fabulous Flamingo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The “Fabulous Flamingo” is a World War II airplane that’s been converted into a one-of-a-kind motorhome. It was recently spotted in Wyoming as its owner cruised into Greybull to look at another vintage aircraft that could be converted into a motorhome. (Courtesy The Fabulous Flamingo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Totally (Not) Worth It<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now completed and roadworthy, the Fabulous Flamingo has become an iconic sight. Lucci shares photos of his motorhome\u2019s road trips on the motorhome\u2019s social media accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucci said he\u2019s heard from multiple people offering plenty of cash to buy the Fabulous Flamingo, but he\u2019s declined all offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNumber One, it\u2019s my baby,\u201d he said. \u201cNumber Two, you have to be part airplane mechanic, part truck mechanic, and part engineer just to keep the thing running.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fabulous Flamingo has some unique quirks that an RV mechanic can\u2019t address. One of the early issues Lucci had to address was the motorhome\u2019s tendency to weathervane, which caused the front to turn into the wind, a common phenomenon for grounded aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucci still considers the motorhome a work in progress, as he\u2019s constantly upgrading and fixing elements to make it safer and easier to maintain. Even an experienced mechanic couldn\u2019t just pop the hood when something\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything around the engine, like the turbo induction, is all custom,\u201d he said. \u201cA mechanic would know where to find the fuse box on an International 4300, but we had to relocate it because that part doesn\u2019t exist anymore as a truck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fabulous Flamingo has air conditioning, but good luck fixing it. Lucci said he had to rebuild the air-conditioning system multiple times to ensure it worked at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are all kinds of little things in there that have to be done on it,\u201d he said. \u201cYou almost have to have built it to know how to maintain it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The “Fabulous Flamingo” is a World War II airplane that’s been converted into a one-of-a-kind motorhome. It was recently spotted in Wyoming as its owner cruised into Greybull to look at another vintage aircraft that could be converted into a motorhome. (Courtesy The Fabulous Flamingo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Modern History<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lucci drove the Fabulous Flamingo to Greybull to see the Lockheed P-2 Neptune he bought during Big Horn County\u2019s Public Surplus auction. He wanted to get a first-hand look at what he had to work with, which would determine its ultimate fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can see pictures and videos on the auction site, but we wanted to see what’s there,\u201d he said. \u201cCan it be made flyable again? Is it museum quality, or are we going to find something else to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Converting airplanes into motorhomes is an extremely niche industry, but Lucci and his team at Round Engine Aero are at its pinnacle. They used what they learned building the Fabulous Flamingo to help YouTuber James Webb do the same with a much more expensive aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe bought a 1962 Lockheed L-1329 JetStar owned by Elvis Presley,\u201d Lucci said. \u201c(Webb) paid a huge premium for that plane, so he let us make all the mistakes first (with the Fabulous Flamingo) so we could figure out how to get everything done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They got it done in 18 months and at a cost of around $400,000. Ironically, the much-cheaper Fabulous Flamingo is still a better ride because the \u201cElvis RV\u201d doesn\u2019t have a bed, there\u2019s no heat or air-conditioning, and the windows don\u2019t open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After looking over his new P-2 Neptune, Lucci thinks they\u2019ll focus on restoring it to museum-quality. They\u2019ll be back to carefully disassemble the aircraft and transport it, piece by piece, back to Michigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnybody can go out there and just cut stuff,\u201d he said. \u201cWe take aircraft apart with the idea of somebody’s going to fly this again, even if it’ll never fly again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there isn\u2019t enough to work with inside the P-2 Neptune, Lucci will focus on preserving and restoring the front half, which he calls \u201cthe business end\u201d of the aircraft. That\u2019s the charismatic half, and the one that offers the most utility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ada Red, which Lucci purchased along with the plane that became the Fabulous Flamingo, is on display at Round Engine Aero. After extensive research, they learned the entire history of the aircraft and its pilot, Philip Sarrette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has all kinds of military history,\u201d he said. \u201cShe dropped paratroopers on D-Day, and we know what group she dropped. We know (Philip Sarrette) was killed over Germany right at the end of World War II. We have pictures of what it looked like sent to us by the families of soldiers who flew on the airplane, so we know her proper markings. By saving that plane, we saved a little bit of history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fabulous Flamingo isn\u2019t what it once was, but Lucci still sees it as preserving a piece of history. His one-of-a-kind motorhome is turning heads and making history as it traverses the nation, finding more planes and preserving more history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was the whole reason for this trip (to Greybull),\u201d he said. \u201cWe always have a backup plan when we buy something. If we can’t save it, or something goes bad while you’re tearing it apart, which is a high probability, we\u2019ll see what we can do with it. If there isn’t enough in this P-2 Neptune for a museum, we can make another vehicle out of it, at least.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A very interesting custom built motorhome. It reminds me of my shop class teacher that converted an old army amphibian vehicle into a motorhome houseboat. He had lost his first one to fire, and having enjoyed it so much he made another. https:\/\/cowboystatedaily.com\/2025\/11\/15\/fabulous-flamingo-airplane-turned-motorhome-turns-heads-in-wyoming\/ A World War II airplane that’s been converted into a one-of-a-kind motorhome […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wyoming"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Jason","author_link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/author\/jturning\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14381"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14381\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14387,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14381\/revisions\/14387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}