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Not exactly unexpected. No other manufacturer bid for this. It's a bit ironic this wasn't decided until after Kuwait and Qatar governments got 748s...
I hope the keep the 1960s livery, and I hope to see a VC-25 before they're retired.
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Not exactly unexpected. No other manufacturer bid for this. It's a bit ironic this wasn't decided until after Kuwait and Qatar governments got 748s...
I hope the keep the 1960s livery, and I hope to see a VC-25 before they're retired. -
I'm surprised by this move as the military usually squeezes the last little bit of utility from every a/c and I know the current 742's are immaculately maintained.
But, I'm also happy about it. I consider the 748 to be the most majestic of the current generation airliners - very much appropriate for heads of State.-
I'm assuming this move is because 747-200 parts are harder and harder to get ahold of nowadays. I'm not sure how I feel about a 748 with the normal AF1 colors... Maybe a redesign? Either way I hope this bird flies sooner rather than later. Although I'm hearing that the Presidential 748 may be the last order of the 748... Hammering the 747s end of life gravestone... -
@FireAngelZero: This is actually my line of work: commercial aircraft spares. We still see new build orders for older 747 parts. So from what I can tell Boeing is still supporting them. I even see DC-8 work from time to time. I think what has happened with a/c like the L1011 and Concorde, BAC1-11 and others is the OEM has ceased to support the parts, i.e., they will not stock the spares or support drawing changes/improvements through their engineering group. As you can imagine some of the prints are decades old, and many of the components called out are no longer available. So the relationship between the OEM and the people producing components is critical. Once the OEM washes their hands of an airplane it's only a matter of time - unless someone acquires the Type Cert from the OEM and goes through all the pains to obtain engineering authority (Kelowna is good example of this). There are other ways to procure parts of course.. Vintage a/c benefit from wartime surplus/stockpiles and the like. And, all those a/c parked in the desert can also be a source of surplus for some, but not all parts requirements.
Probably more than anyone wanted to know, but.. thought I'd chime in since the door was open
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not more than i wanted to know.. More would have been interesting.
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--This was expected.
I wonder if Boeing didn't whisper into someone's ear that the B747 program was nearing end of production and an order is required a.s.a.p. if they want to secure production slots.
I wonder what the NEXT presidential transport will be. The preference was always for 4 engines, but this was really a legacy requirement since the earliest aircraft engines were no where close to the reliability the new generation of powerplants achieve. Even the tankers are switching from 4 engine types to 2 engine types.
I doubt that the A380 would be bought in future. Americans like to buy American, especially for their presidential 'flying the flag' aircraft. (That is even if the A380 will still be in production by the time the B748's needs replacing in 25-30 years time or so). Will the requirement for 4 engines then miraculously disappear? And that would then put the current decision in a new light. Is it really necessary to spend the money now or wait a couple of years to buy 777X?Comment
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That's an interesting observation.. I have noticed that very wealthy Americans tend to drive American cars.. I'm not talking about the nouveaux riche either... But an A380 could happen; after all, the police force rides Kawasaki bikes (after decades riding Harley-Davidson).. Also, the military replaced the Colt 1911 pistol with the Beretta 92F.. Thanks to connectivity the younger generation of Americans see themselves more as global citizens, members of a vast consumer culture ruled by novelty and not nationalism. I have two teenage daughters and I don't think they'd give a rip if Uncle Sam bought a European airplane for the President. They probably can't find Washington DC on a map of the world much less Toulouse and they're perfectly happy that way.Originally posted by eugenevh View PostComment
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--I hear what you say. But remember that it is not us 'ordinary' citizens of any country which makes these decisions. Most of these are made by Politicians who always, ALWAYS, have an agenda.Originally posted by JAL1628 View Post
So they wil not want the "Commander of the Free World" (as some like to call POTUS) to be flying in anything not made in America. Politially there will be a lot at stake for those who decide 'not to buy American'.
Logic sometimes takes a back-seat in politics. I wish the whole world could be more like our daughters and realize that we all live on one planet. Borders are in any case artificial structures thought up by man in an effort to dominate a small portion of the earths surface.
To prove my point watch this excellent (IMHO) youtube vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMjEVG2rrFQ
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You are once ignoring human nature. You are also ignoring why territories were setup in the 1st place to control it... for protection!!
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The Presidential plane might even be a A380? I think not ! Just imagine how easy it would be to down it, even though it might have all the gizmos known to man to protect the first citizen. Not the fastest plane even on the take off run, let alone flying, it would be so easy to bring it down with an S.A.M or whatever else there is, and the sheer size of it means that whatever nut case wants to risk having a go, can't possibly fail. Sorry,but lets be realistic about it. Stick with Boeing...please.Comment
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