Much was made during the Trump administration that the future aircraft to carry the president would feature a completely new paint scheme. It was to include a shift away from the light blue paint job for one that featured a red, white, and dark blue palette. It was to be the first significant makeover since President John F. Kennedy was in the White House.
However, last summer, the proposed paint scheme for the presidential aircraft was no longer under consideration due to cost and engineering concerns.
Instead, President Joe Biden has selected a new livery design for the “Next Air Force One,” VC-25B, a design that will closely resemble the livery of the current Air Force One, VC-25A, while the aircraft will also be “modernized” for the 21st century; the United States Air Force announced this month.
“While accounting for the VC-25B’s larger 747-8i aircraft, the VC-25B livery has three primary differences with the VC-25A’s livery. The light blue on VC-25B is a slightly deeper, more modern tone than VC-25A’s robin’s egg blue. Additionally, the VC-25B engines will use the darker blue from the cockpit area vice the VC-25A’s robin’s egg blue.
Finally, there is no polished metal section on the VC-25B because modern commercial aircraft skin alloys don’t allow for it,” the Air Force explained.
A formal contractual decision for a VC-25B livery had not been required until this year for Boeing to conduct engineering, certification preparation, and supplier selection activities for the program.
The Air Force previously displayed a red, white, and blue livery for the VC-25B because it had been publicly expressed as a preferred livery in 2019.
However, a thermal study later concluded the dark blue in the design would require additional Federal Aviation Administration qualification testing for several commercial components due to the added heat in certain environments. As a result, the Trump-era livery selection – which was almost identical to the exterior of Trump’s personal planes – is out!
The VC-25B Program
The VC-25B Program will deliver a new fleet of aircraft to enable POTUS (president of the United States) to execute the duties of Head of State, Chief Executive, and Commander in Chief. The aircraft – a military version of the Boeing 747 – will be uniquely modified to provide the POTUS, staff, and guests with safe and reliable air transportation with the equivalent level of communications capability and security available in the White House, the Air Force also explained.
The new VC-25B aircraft will replace the current VC-25A fleet, which faces capability gaps, rising maintenance costs, and even parts obsolescence. A number of significant modifications to the aircraft are being made. These will include electrical power upgrades, a mission communication system, a medical facility, an executive interior, a self-defense system, and autonomous ground operations capabilities.
Delivery of the first VC-25B is projected for 2027, followed by a second aircraft in 2028, the Air Force announced.
In addition, the Air Force remains postured to keep VC-25A available and mission-ready until the delivery of the VC-25B.
The current generation of planes first carried President George H.W. Bush, who served from 1989-1993. Although technically the “Air Force One” designation only applies to the aircraft when the president is on board, the term is still commonly used to refer to the VC-25 in general.
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Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
