Artist’s impression: This is how Boeing says the new Air Force Ones could look
Two Boeing 747-8s will be modified to replace the existing fleet of presidential 747-200s, which are designated VC-25A by the Air Force.
The Trump Force One planes are expected to enter service by 2024 and will be designated VC-25B. Here is how the old and new compare.
Wingspan
Boeing 747-200: 95ft 8in
747-8: 224ft 5in
Length
747-200: 31ft 10in
747-8: 205ft 2in
Top speed
747-200: 0.85 Mach – 644.5 miles per hour
787-8: 0.855 Mach – 656.0 miles per hour
Range
747-200: 6,375 nautical miles – equivalent of Washington D.C. to Tokyo
757-8: 7,730 nautical miles – equivalent of Washington D.C. to Hong Kong
Maximum load at take-off
747-200: 833,000lb – 427.5 tons
747-8: 987,000lb – 493.5 tons
On board facilites
Travel in style: President Obama in the 747-200’s conference / dining room
747-200: In-flight refueling; self-contained baggage loader; two galleys providing 100 meals in one sitting; capacity for 3,000 frozen meals held in five chillers; conference / executive dining room; self-contained office for president; sitting area which converts into bedroom for president and first lady; on-board hospital; offices for staff; crew rest area; business-class style cabin for reporters.
747-8: Specifications still to be released but extra floor area – the top deck is more than twice as long as on a 747-200 – will mean more space for conference and rest areas. 747-8s can allow extra rest areas above the passenger floor at the rear called the ‘crown’.
Service history
747-200: Commissioned by Ronald Reagan, entered service 1990 and have carried presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. They will fly the winner of the 2020 election.
Obama on board: The 44th president was one of five who have flown on the 747-200s. If Trump loses in 2020, that number will climb to six
Personal space: Laura Bush and her husband President George W. Bush in the president and first lady’s quarters
747-8: Need for new presidential planes first put in writing in 2009, with three requested. Airbus A380s were also considered but their manufacturer dropped out of consideration. Latest order is due to be delivered in 2024 – meaning if Trump wins a second term he might be able to fly in them before he leaves office.
Who else has got one
747-200: No other known VIP 747-200s exist. No 747-200s remain in scheduled commercial passenger service
747-8: Current owners of VIP 747-8s are believed to include: Qatar, four, one reserved for the emir; Kuwait, one; Sultan of Oman, one; Sultan of Brunei, one; Morocco for use by its king, one; United Arab Emirates, seven; Hong Kong real estate tycoon Joseph Lau