Deliveries of the next 'Air Force One' planes have been pushed back according to the United States Air Force. On Friday, the Air Force also confirmed that President Biden selected the new livery that shares similarities with the look of the current Air Force One jets.
The aircraft will also feature unique modifications to provide the President and staff with safe and reliable air transportation. The VC-25B program, which will ultimately deliver two new aircraft to the Air Force, is currently working on the modifications.
New and larger
Rather than an aircraft itself, Air Force One is a radio call sign assigned to any aircraft transporting the President of the United States (POTUS). The two current Air Force One aircraft are modified Boeing 747-200B jets, also known as the VC-25A fleet.
The incoming aircraft will be slightly larger 747-8I models and will be classified by the Air Force as VC-25B. As the newest version of the 747, the planes will be more fuel efficient and have lower operating costs.
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Differences in the livery
The new and reimagined livery closely resembles the design seen on the VC-25A aircraft, but the Air Force said the new look would also modernize the 21st century.
Since the VC-25B fleet will have a larger fuselage, the livery has three primary differences from the livery on VC-25A. According to the Air Force, the light blue on VC-25B is slightly deeper and has a more modern tone than VC-25A's robin's egg blue. Additionally, the engines on the new 747s will use the darker blue from the cockpit area versus the VC-25A's robin's egg blue. And, there is no polished metal section on the VC-25B because the modern commercial aircraft skin alloys do not allow for it.
The original concept art for the jet previously displayed a red, white, and blue livery because it had been publicly expressed as a preferred livery in 2019 when former President Trump was in office. Trump initially decided the aircraft would display a design based on the colors of the American flag, but the reaction to the decision was mixed.
A thermal study later concluded the design's dark blue color would require additional qualification testing from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for several commercial components due to heat in certain environments. As a result of the increased costs for testing, President Biden revealed that he would revert to a color scheme very similar to the current livery.
Boeing was not required to determine a formal contractual decision for VC-25 B's new livery until this year. Now, the company will conduct engineering, certification preparation, and supplier selection activities for the program.
Aircraft modifications
Similar to the current Air Force One, the new aircraft will be heavily modified to provide the POTUS, staff, and guests with a safe and reliable flying experience paired with communications capability and security equivalent to the level available in the White House. The Air Force also said other modifications will include electrical power upgrades, a mission communication system, a medical facility, an executive interior, a self-defense system, and autonomous ground operations capabilities. The cost to retrofit the planes is an estimated $3.9 billion.
The new aircraft will replace the current aging VC-25A fleet, which has transported US Presidents for over 30 years. The current fleet faces capability gaps, rising maintenance costs, and some parts becoming obsolete.
VC-25B deliveries are projected for 2027 for the first aircraft and 2028 for the second aircraft. Until then, according to The Air Force, the VC-25A fleet will be available and mission-ready.
Source: The United States Air Force