Boeing seems to be happy , as they do not have to pay out-of-pocket to fix the heating problem , that was expected to be generated due to the Darker colour schemes , which was proposed by former Trump Administration.
The Biden administration has decided not pursue the former President Donald Trump’s red, white and blue Livery for the Air Force One replacement B747-8s , after recent studies showed it could drive up the cost.
The existing Livery seems to stay on the presidential aircraft , widely referred as the 'Air Force One' , is white with two shades of blue and dates back to President John F. Kennedy’s administration.
Source : BBC .
Trump , who left the office in January 2021 had planned the new livery for the upcoming Air Force One VC-25Bs , that called for dark blue paint covering the plane’s underbelly and engines , could contribute to excessive temperatures on the aircraft.
The darker paint scheme would have required additional modifications to cool some of the components of the aircraft , potentially driving up costs , the Air Force said . This was the reason , the White House ultimately chose to scrap the Trump plan.
“The Trump paint scheme is not being considered because it could drive additional engineering , time and cost,” anonymous souces from the administration said.
While the White House has not released the renderings or designs of the new Air Force Ones , we can expect , the original JFK-era light blue and white scheme will be retained.
Its an welcome news for Boeing , who is already struggling with the 'cost overruns' and 'delivery dates' of the VC-25Bs . The new paint decision is good news for Boeing , which would have had to pay out-of-pocket to fix the heating problem , says Boeing.
Boeing had started modifying the two B747-8 aircraft slated to become VC-25Bs in February 2020 at its facility in San Antonio.
As per the arrangement, the $3.9 billion firm, fixed-price contract included the cost of two Boeing 747 aircraft, which were previously built for a now-bankrupt Russian carrier that never accepted them.
Apart from the Pandemic , bankruptcy of defunct subcontractor GDC Technics has been blamed for the delay in the Air Force One project, that was planned to be completed in the year 2024.
Before the start of the project , Trump became personally involved in negotiations for the replacement aircraft . In February 2017 , he had announced on social media that the government had successfully reduced the price of the contract with Boeing by “over $1 billion.”
