You won’t find bar stools made from ejector seats or coffee tables from J-57 jet engines at Ikea. But if you can get to MotoArt’s 20,000-square-foot showroom near Los Angeles International Airport, the company will sell you vintage aircraft mods that redefine “statement furniture.” MotoArt scavengers trek the world, raiding piles of downed plane parts. Industry insiders tip them off to the exact locations, from Alaska to Thailand, not to mention airplane boneyards in the Mojave Desert and Grissom Air Reserve Base in central Indiana. They go plane to plane, stripping parts. Back at headquarters, a 16-person team takes band saws and drill presses to the scavenged pieces, reshaping them into furnishings (and, in the case of some of the older stuff, charging more for bullet holes). Typical clients—AOL, Boeing, GoDaddy—deck their offices with conference tables fashioned from 1930s biplanes or jet wings repurposed as artwork. “We appreciate the engineering behind these aircraft,” says MotoArt cofounder Dave Hall, who got started in the business when he turned a scrapped propeller into a sculpture.
“We’re trying to give the plane a second life.” Now any startup can operate on a wing—prayer not included. More from this issue The Next Steve Jobs All the Data You Can Eat The Boston Bomb SquadAviation FurnitureAirplane FurnitureAircraft FurnitureCar FurnitureSeating ChairsDesk ChairsOffice ChairsRobotic ChairStrange ChairsForwardF-4 Ejection Seat Break the sound barrier without ever leaving your office with the F-4 Ejection Seat. Low riding F-4 chair has a custom fabricated aluminum base that is powder coated wrinkle black, with double wheel casters. Aircraft History of the F-4 Slash Gear: Online PressKind of a crotch hazard, though! Why don’t they remove that iron bar there in the intimate area? This great chair is actually a reclaimed cockpit seat from an F-4 Phantom. I think the cushioning is redone but the metal is all original. Very intimidating to your subordinates. I’d buy one but it wouldn’t fit with my decor and also the price is so high they can’t list it.
Check out the other pictures of the seat here at Moto Art, or buy it if you’re insanely rich. [via The Daily What and Re-Nest] Nimb panic ring is a wearable safety alert system When less is more The next iPhone could have a bigger display and more battery SpaceX successfully lands its first-stage Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral Confirmed: Magic Leap acquires 3D division of Dacuda in Zurich Barbie becomes a hologram version of herself OxSight uses augmented reality to aid the visually impaired Verizon buys Skyward, a drone operations company Aircraft History of the B-52 StratofortressCompletely DesignedCarrying WeaponsBrake ParachuteKeelFt 6Martin BakerEjection SeatsBottomEgyptianForwardChinese trainer FT-6, usually not carrying weapons, was completely designed in Shenyang. This Egyptian FT-6 is equipped with ejection seats Martin-Baker and the brake parachute at the bottom of the keel.If you're an aviation enthusiast, there's a lot of fun stuff to be found in Boeing's online store.
But none are as unique—and some would say even historic—as this authentic de-commissioned ejector seat from an McDonnell F-4 Phantom II fighter jet, one of the U.S. military's workhorses of the Vietnam War. Made by the British manufacturer Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd., the seat has been refurbished and professionally cleaned, but not fully restored so it looks somewhat worn and used. It comes mounted to a steel plate for display purposes, and still includes a harness, the ejection lever, and an empty oxygen tank. Sadly, even though the Boeing Store wants $15,000 for this collectible when it's finally available, the one thing it doesn't include is the Mk.7 rocket needed to make it eject clear of a fighter plane, a long drawn out meeting, or dinner with your in-laws. [Boeing Store via Uncrate]You might know how to accessorize the ultimate man cave, but the right furniture can really make or break the look. Forgo the cozy love seats and traditional wood coffee tables for something with a bit more kutzpah.
We’ve found the most Bad Ass Furniture known to man. Some are made out of real car parts, some covered with tattoos and some actually survived a war – all would make amazing gifts for men. Your work day doesn’t seem quite so bad when you know you have a way to escape. The F-4 Ejection Seat isn’t a replica, but the real deal that’s been welded to a custom swivel chair base. The chair has been left in its original condition to preserve its war-time history. Car enthusiast/furniture maker Steven Shaver wants you to bring your ride into your room with his amazing custom automotive furniture. Originally designed for an upscale car shop, he now offers his wares to the public. The Firebird couch features custom upholstery colors, embroidered car lettering and emblems on the rims. Nothing spices up a boring meeting in the conferences room like sitting at the giant Airplane wing conferences table. The glass surfaces lets you peer into the structure of the wing and see the worn details along its surface.
You’ll have a hard time focusing on the matters at hand while you imagine what it would have been like to pilot the old bird. It’s hard to give up that old heap of rusted metal you once called a truck. Sure, she’s pretty beat but you still see the beauty in that rusty hood. Joel Hester from Dallas, TX shares your sentiments and turns sheet metal from old American cars and trucks into beautiful tables. This table’s got a little bit of everything… a vintage carburetor, brass knuckles and carved tattoos. These manly accents compliment the soft black leather and alligator and stingray skin set on top of its solid mahogany base. This hodge-podge of traditional elegance and hardy masculinity make the Engine Coffee Table a one of a kind piece of furniture. The aluminum frame is stripped down to expose the sleek detail of the elevators and rudders of this re-purposed airplane wing. The Mitchell Bomber was used primarily during WWII fitted with .50 caliber machines guns and ran strafing missions.
Own your own piece of aviation history and use this beautifully finished Bomber Plan wing as your office desk. Not everyone who comes to your office will appreciate just how rare the 747 Cowling Reception Desk truly is. But real aviation enthusiasts will realize that only 2 or 3 of the jumbo jets are made each year and these salvaged cowlings are not easy to come by. Couple the desk with an aircraft seat and you’ve officially got the coolest reception set up ever. Take a boring and traditionally ornate chair from some era we could care less about (let’s guess Victorian or something) and stick a cool Skull tattoo design and suddenly it’s looking pretty awesome. The Tattooed Chair by Mama Tried features kick ass detailed artwork by tattoo artist Scott Campbell. The dark wood and detailed black designs give it an overall ominous appeal that is undisputedly bad ass. Quite the upgrade from the little car bed you had when you were 6. This vintage car bed is made from real parts and of course features an awesome flame headboard that says this bed is on fire.
The hood lifts up and doubles as storage space and the headlights are fully functional. What’s not bad ass about a chair made of chromed steel rims with flaming tires? The Milano Lounge Chair features inner-tube upholstery and is made of tires, handlebars and rims—all re-formed to create a cool custom lounge chair. This piece of furniture turns the form and purpose of oil drums completely on its side… literally. The bright orange Oil Drum Rocker has a seat made of highly sustainable waxen smoked bamboo and due to its shape rocks slightly. Unlike some similar oil drum projects this chair still looks pretty much like its original form and is instantly recognizable for what it once was. Finding creative ways to divide your loft apartment that don’t look sorta girly can be difficult. We’ve seen those Japanese paper wall dividers, but if you have pets or clumsy friends it doesn’t take long to trash them. But a B707 Fuselage Room Divider should do the trick—no one’s breaking this divider, let along knocking it down.