The End of an Era: The Final Boeing 747 Delivery and the Future of Air Force One
Okay…. Last week, Boeing delivered the last production 747-8F to Atlas Air. Thus bringing an end to the 747 production run. But believe it or not, there is one customer on the books who are still waiting to take formal delivery of 2 very special Jumbo Jets….. The United States Air Force.
Meet the New Air Force One Aircrafts
You see, the USAF are to take ownership of two 747-8I aircraft for use as transports for the President of the United States. In other words, they will be the new “Air Force One”.
The current aircrafts, which are officially known as the “VC-25As”, were originally delivered in 1990 and are based on the 747-200B variant. They are unquestionably the most recognizable and capable Presidential aircraft in the world. But they are also well over 30 years old and, despite the Air Force religiously keeping them well maintained, both aircraft are starting to show their age.
As a result, the decision was made to select a new aircraft which would replace the two currently being used. Not surprisingly, the Boeing 747-8I was selected, but there is a big difference between the two.
Comparing New and Old Presidential Aircraft
When the 747-200B was initially selected to be the new presidential aircraft, both planes were built from scratch on the Assembly Floor in Everett, Washington, before being transferred for final outfitting at the Boeing Military Airplane Company in Kansas. This allowed Boeing to add certain features to the aircraft from the ground up, such as special insulation against EMPs and, most notably, the ability to refuel while in flight.
The “new” aircraft that have been selected were originally meant for Russian airline Transaero. But that company went bankrupt before the aircraft could be delivered, so they have been in storage before the Air Force selected them. But the project has been hit with serious delays, partly due to the recent Covid pandemic, which practically shut down a lot of industries during that time, specifically outside contractors which Boeing relied on to supply certain components and materials.
The Challenges Faced by the New Air Force One
There is also the fact they are basically taking two jets originally meant for passenger service and converting them into not just a VIP transport, but a flying command post as well. Not an easy task to say the least, as they need to add military-grade avionics, advanced communications systems, and of course, self-defense systems/countermeasures.
Due to these issues and delays, it’s believed the first aircraft may not be delivered until 2026-2027.
~NC
