New Air Force 1 747-8

Latest news noise is that Trump is threatening to buy a used VIP 747-8 since Boeing is so late on delivering the 2 current aircraft being done. Trump toured an ex-Qatari VIP -8 the other day; an aircraft for sale by the way. [Just a coincidence that it was sitting on the ramp?]

Boeing has well and truly screwed up the conversion of the two new AF1s. If common sense had of originally prevailed the Air Force would have purchased the 2 aircraft and then contracted for the VIP conversions without Boeing. This is what every other VIP buyer of the -8s did. Luthansa in Hamburg Germany dis some. Greenpoint Technologies out of the Seattle area dis a couple. Associated Air Center in Dallas did at least 1 (Associated has since been shut down by their corporate owner.). What was then L3 in Waco did 2.

But, the AF1 aircraft do have special items that do require Boeing's involvement and that none of the other VIP -8s have. A big one are the forward and aft airstairs out of the left side of the lower lobe. This mod also includes scalloping the bottom of the main deck floor beams to some additional ceiling height and a stairway to the main deck. There are also huge galley food stowage facilities in the lower lobe that are in flight accessible.

AF1 also requires a level of communication systems that none of the other aircraft have and highly sophisticated counter measure systems that are beyond what any other may have, if they have any of them.

Something I saw in a report on the project a while back is that each of the 2 aircraft are being completely rewired. Is this part of a Tempest compliance or just trying to have a lower electrical signature than normal? No one else did this either.

Boeing contracted a VIP Interiors company to manage the VIP portion of the project. That company, GDC, went bankrupt during the project. The replacement company, Greenpoint Technologies, always should have been the selected company by Boeing. They had worked other VIP projects for Boeing, they understood "the Boeing way" and the "Air Force way", which is a major hurdle. Progress is measured by reports despite the ability to walk through the aircraft to see for oneself.

AF1 has a very sequential interior arrangement that has to be followed. Trump may like the other -8 he saw as it is a very nice interior but it does not work for the US.

When one sees the huge Boeing contract number understand that it is more than just the 2 aircraft. It has an entire multi-year 24/7/365 support operation attached, at Boeing rates. Third parties could do it cheaper but they can't pull replacement parts off the production line or committed to other clients like the OEM can.

IF Trump had of been real smart back when, he would have bought the 2 aircraft from Boeing (with an agreement for Boeing to support their sole source mods) and then had one of the independent VIP outfitters handle the conversion project.

 

It should have never happened but there are a lot of moving parts in such a project.

Have you considered that everyone that works on the project has to clear a background check? For many that includes a Presidential level clearance that has additional requirement beyond the normal clearance.

Don't forget the arguments about the paint scheme. DJT keeps pushing to have it like his 757, which goes back to his old 727.

Neither of know how many changes have been requested between the White House and the Air Force. Each adds a delay.

I happen to know of a serious lower lobe issue that may have finally forced Boeing to address it. I would not be surprised if this is one of the issues.

 

Add in the procedures required by Boeing, then the Department of Defense followed by the 89th Presidential Airwing and efficient progress is just not possible.

There have been long standing jokes that the amount of paper generated must be at least equal to the weight of the aircraft.

The DOD/Air Force loves to create new standards when it comes to Air Force One. They seem to have joined the "publish or perish" brigade to justify their existence.

Not that the execution of this project is good, but I suspect that there are no clean hands on the delays.

@jcurry You could easily be correct that the military equipment fitments could be a moving target as new technology comes along.

 

Do you have any clue about the complexity of doing 2 airstairs with big holes in the side of the fuselage, in-flight access between the main deck and the lower lobe in two places, converting all/most of the upper deck into a communications center, defensive system installations, what is apparently a require to rewire the entire aircraft in addition to all the newly created wire harnesses for the new interior and equipment? Yes, they are egregiously behind overall but do not discount the true complexity of what is being undertaken.

The claim that Trump could just acquire that used ex-Qatari -8 and use it is ludicrous. The changes needed for it would take longer than just sticking with the 2 already in work.

 

Were the E4Bs conversions done by E-Systems or by Boeing/BMAC?

 

Boeing has a piss poor record when they do any VIP conversion themselves. They have tried several times through the decades and each time it was a project disaster as well as a financial disaster. The mentality is wrong.

 

But the FAA regulations for certification that cover this type of fuselage modification have changed substantially since it was done on the -200s. Plus, to comply with these new standards Boeing would use Boeing engineering to do the analysis - they are their own black hole.