• Donald Trump calls for 'ridiculous' new Boeing Air Force One to be scrapped
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[quote]Donald Trump has called for the scrapping of multi-billion dollar plans for Boeing to build a new Air Force One, calling the costs "ridiculous and totally out of control". Boeing shares immediately dropped one per cent following Mr Trump's comments. The US government signed a deal with Boeing earlier this year to build a new aircraft to fly the president once the current one reaches the end of its service life. Mr Trump said on Twitter: "Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!" The US president-elect later added: "The plane is totally out of control. I think it's ridiculous. I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number. We want Boeing to make a lot of money but not that much money." Air Force One is the air traffic control call sign for any plane carrying the president. Two Boeing 747-200 aircraft are currently used and the Boeing deal involves replacing them with two Boeing 747-8 planes. The intention is is to have the replacements flying by 2024, which would be the final year of Mr Trump's presidency if he is re-elected for a second term. The deal between the Pentagon and Boeing was announced in January with an initial $26 million research contract. Another $127.3 million was awarded in July. The US Air Force has previously put the cost of the project at $1.65 billion. In a statement earlier this year the US Defence Department said: "Parts obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing sources and increased down times for maintenance are existing challenges that will increase until a new aircraft is fielded." It was not the first time Mr Trump has taken aim at Air Force One. In July he attacked President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for using it on the campaign trial, calling it a "disgrace" and a waste of taxpayers' money. He added then: "Air Force One is a very old Boeing 747 and it sucks up a lot of gas, a lot of fuel. Boy, the fuel bill. You turn on those engines I can tell you it's a lot of money." US presidents have used Boeing planes since 1943 and Air Force One has become one of the most visible American symbols. The new Boeing 747-8 planes are due to be 240ft long long with a wing span of 224ft. They would be capable of flying 1,000 miles further than the current ones without a refuel. During the campaign Mr Trump suggested he could use his own plane as president. He owns a Boeing 757 dubbed "Trump Force One". However, US officials have previously said that would be "nearly functionally impossible".[/quote] [url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/06/donald-trump-calls-ridiculous-new-boeing-air-force-one-scrapped/[/url]
Sounds more like he wants them cancelled since he won't be the one able to use them Won't matter to him anyway that if they were cancelled and our current ones get obsolete, since he's still the rich man with the private plane
I read another article elsewhere that said if Trump wants to use Trump Force One he would have to pay for all the communication and shielding upgrades with his own money.
[QUOTE=RIPBILLYMAYS;51486025]I read another article elsewhere that said if Trump wants to use Trump Force One he would have to pay for all the communication and shielding upgrades with his own money.[/QUOTE] Did they include the estimated cost of that?
[QUOTE=PsycheClops;51486027]Did they include the estimated cost of that?[/QUOTE] $3.5 billion is a conservative estimate for how much it would cost to shield two planes.
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I wonder how much of Trump's presidency will be spent on twitter.
[QUOTE=Dave_Parker;51486064]I find it hard to believe that a plane that costs ~400 million should have an added 900 million cost per plane to add shielding.[/QUOTE] Yeah trump should probably go without it as a cost saving measure. what could go wrong?
[QUOTE=Paramud;51486065]I wonder how much of Trump's presidency will be spent on twitter.[/QUOTE]I'm ready for the Fireside Tweets.
[URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_transports_of_heads_of_state_and_government"]Here's a list of the presidential transports by country[/URL][URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Air_transports_of_heads_of_state_and_government&oldid=752846064"],[/URL] in case anyone's interested. I wonder what kind of customisation they each have, if any.
Probably just trying to get the price down.
I have a feeling that the two Air Force One jets have a crap load of top secret shit on them that we don't know about that inflates the price. I wouldn't be surprised if those things were armed with offensive and defensive weapons, plus full hospital, escape pods, survival gear, etc, etc.
[QUOTE=Dave_Parker;51486064]I find it hard to believe that a plane that costs ~400 million should have an added 1.3 billion cost per plane to add shielding.[/QUOTE] Air Force One is a 747 is appearance alone. The inside is completely redone in both the systems used and how the plane is structured. They are shielded against electromagnetic pulses, can refuel mid-flight, and probably a bunch of other things that we aren't allowed to know. They operate as the mobile command center for the President during times of war or crisis, and they did during 9/11. Boeing is hiring people specifically for this project and most of the tooling and machinery used is unique and one off. Aerospace isn't cheap, and we wouldn't want the symbol of the United States and the vehicle responsible for his safe travel being built by the lowest bidder would we?
I honestly don't see an issue in putting the project on hold for budgeting concerns? What does he have to gain by not building another air force one?
"The plane is totally out of control. I think it's ridiculous." This is what I'd imagine he'd say riding it as the plane was about to crash and explode.
If the movie "Air Force One" is [I]anything[/I] to go on, then AF1 has: an escape capsule a rear cargo hatch missile defenses multiple onboard armories a [I]vast[/I] communication suite mid-air refuel capabilities and god knows what else. The multi-billion price tag is completely plausible if it even has half of that. [editline]6th December 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=01271;51486131]"The plane is totally out of control. I think it's ridiculous." This is what I'd imagine he'd say riding it as the plane was about to crash and explode.[/QUOTE] CANCEL ORDER CANCEL OR-crash
[QUOTE=A_Pigeon;51486124]I honestly don't see an issue in putting the project on hold for budgeting concerns? What does he have to gain by not building another air force one?[/QUOTE] The current Air Force Ones were built in 89' and while they are the best maintained planes in the world, planes delivered in the early 90s are sitting in the desert now, waiting to be scrapped. He won't get anything from their construction. They're expected to be flying in 2024, (gives you an idea of how sophisticated these two planes are) so even if he's reelected he may not ever fly in them.
[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;51486138]CANCEL ORDER CANCEL OR-crash[/QUOTE] Lets give the aircraft a literal golden parachute if it ever gets in trouble it can glide down to safety. No? but if it crashes we warned you... $1.65 billion pays for a lot of homeless overnight stays with a hot meal.
[QUOTE=Fayez;51486166]The current Air Force Ones were built in 89' and while they are the best maintained planes in the world, planes delivered in the early 90s are sitting in the desert now, waiting to be scrapped. He won't get anything from their construction. They're expected to be flying in 2024, (gives you an idea of how sophisticated these two planes are) so even if he's reelected he may not ever fly in them.[/QUOTE] But are they a necessity? Is there a better alternative?
Someone care to explain what is "shielding plane"? Is it having two military jets escorting it always? or is it literally making fuselage stronger/thicker?
[QUOTE=arleitiss;51486180]Someone care to explain what is "shielding plane"? Is it having two military jets escorting it always? or is it literally making fuselage stronger/thicker?[/QUOTE] Its probably making sure you cant wiretap the aircraft and every signal in or out goes through the monitored channels. In effect this probably means an isolated Faraday cage substructure.
why would trump be allowed to use his private plane assuming there's no room for the press corps
[QUOTE=Map in a box;51486239]why would trump be allowed to use his private plane assuming there's no room for the press corps[/QUOTE] To my knowledge, he wouldn't because it's not properly designed and equipped.
$4 billion sounds like a fair estimate when every company involved is probably pocketing a chunk of it
[QUOTE=A_Pigeon;51486177]But are they a necessity? Is there a better alternative?[/QUOTE] Define alternative. There is really no other American aerospace company that has the expertise to make them. Airbus could technically make them, but it'd be kinda weird to have the President flying around in a plane designed and built by the EU. [QUOTE=arleitiss;51486180]Someone care to explain what is "shielding plane"? Is it having two military jets escorting it always? or is it literally making fuselage stronger/thicker?[/QUOTE] All of their systems are protected against electromagnetic pulses caused by nearby nuclear detonations.
Considering it's Boeing, each $1 bolt on the damn thing was probably at least $1000 so 4 billion isn't too bad.
I had to do a work event at the Boeing hangar earlier this year. Definitely drove past a plane that was looking to be retrofitted to be used as a replacement Air Force One. We were told not to take pictures. (I'm not too into planes but it was cool to see anyway, even if they wouldn't end up using it.) That thing is huge. Doesn't surprise me it'd cost billions, especially with what sort of stuff they'd have to put inside. That being said though, this is kind of a weird thing for him to target lol.
[url]https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/291964245602607105[/url] How do i tag twitter?
[QUOTE=Gripen2;51486373][URL]https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/291964245602607105[/URL] How do i tag twitter?[/QUOTE] [media] tags [media]https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/291964245602607105[/media] like so
[QUOTE=Blizzerd;51486171]Lets give the aircraft a literal golden parachute if it ever gets in trouble it can glide down to safety. No? but if it crashes we warned you... $1.65 billion pays for a lot of homeless overnight stays with a hot meal.[/QUOTE] 2 planes is enough to build and furnish enough shipping container homes for the entire homeless population of the united states to live in, not even including the bulk purchase discounts
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