• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

USAF submits RFI for A380 in VIP and cargo roles

Ohh... that thing is hideous ... :yuck_125:

getAsset.aspx
 
Are they trying to be able to transport all of a certain presidential candidates owners (OOPS! DONORS) to junkets in one trip if said certain candidate gets elected?
 
"Boeing’s Global Support Systems (GSS) division is aware that the USAF may need to replace the VC-25 with a new model"

Been working on the IDS side for the past 12 years, Never heard of Global Support Systems. Mainly because we don't a group called Global Support Systems..... Wonder what other stuff the author got wrong ;)
 
Air Force One is too symbolic to be awarded to Airbus, the recent award of the Marine One contract to AugustaWestland (an Anglo-Italian company) notwithstanding. EADs/Airbus is French and the German, in addition to British and Spaniard, so it would be a much more of a bitter pill to swallow.

Two practical concerns also come up. The first being that while the VH-71 is being assembled here, the A380 would almost certainly be manufactured overseas. There are a whole host of problems associated with that, first and foremost being security. The second is that the A380 is probably too big and heavy. Major international airports that expect to service the A380 have been or are being modified to take the aircraft. While many of these mods have to do with terminals, which would not affect Air Force One, it also includes mods to make sure there is runway clearance for the aircraft and strengthening. While this might not be an issue at many location she goes, Air Force One often goes to more unusual locales and it would limit where she might go, probably unacceptable for political considerations.

Finally, it is probably the most second most recognizable symbol of the Presidency behind the White House. I don't think that it would be politically acceptable to anyone in Congress or the White House to have the President's aircraft be a 'French' plane. :D
 
I think the fact that Boeing is remaking the 747 (and needing to sell them), with its iconic shape relatively intact, will keep the president flying in a Boeing.
 
Agreed. It's like the limo - you won't see the President stopping in front of the White House in a Mercedes, will you? And the new 747-8's look sweet, anyways.
 
Yeah, I can't really see the President flying around in the whale jet. Assuming Boeing stays on track with the 747-8i it'll probably wind up being a better choice for this situation anyway.
 
Doesn't the 380 still need reinforced runways? Or did the C-5 have a similar problem?

If it still requires those sorts of modifications, I don't see the President using it to go to every state in the union.
 
tiger84 said:
Yeah, I can't really see the President flying around in the whale jet. Assuming Boeing stays on track with the 747-8i it'll probably wind up being a better choice for this situation anyway.
Click to expand...
The Pres already flies in the "Whale". That has been the 747s nickname for years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top