Being reported today by SeattlePI, it looks like Boeing is finally going to turn over the keys to the first passenger version of the 747-8i.
No major official ceremonies are planned and it appears that the delivery will be very much off the radar. Rumors have circulated suggesting it is a Boeing Business Jet configuration and may be headed off to serve the government of Kuwait. This article suggested that it may be going to Qatar and be placed into service for the Qatari government.
By the way, wouldn’t everyone agree its time for a new Air Force One?? I would think our government would want to show off the latest and greatest technology first!
In any event, the new 747-8i finally gets to go to a new home, and the rest of us need to wait another month or so to get our hands on Lufthansa’s edition!!
And honestly it wouldn’t be the first euro bird our military has bought Eads just doesn’t see any money in competing for a contract for 3 aircraft that will result in a political fight in DC
Word is that with only one available option the af will buy green airplanes off the line at commercial rates and compete out the integration of the specialty systems. I have been involved in a few programs like that and it generally works well
Whatever the timing, with EADS excluded from sensibly competing, you can bet that the Federal taxpayer will pay massively over the odds for transporting the President around the place.
If logic were at play, a much better choice would be the 787. Greater range, massively more fuel efficient and an advertisement for new US technology, rather than a has-been product developed as an after-thought to try to compete(unsuccessfully, it seems) with the A380.
The US would want a few years of operating history before signing up. The -8i seems like the inevitable solution…7-10 years from now.
Also remember politics are at play. Assuming Obama gets re-elected, he won’t sign off on significant planning for a new Presidential jet…leaving the design lifecycle to occur under his successor. Remember how he canceled the helicopter replacement? New aircraft are inconsistent with the image he seeks to portray.
Air Force One is whatever plane POTUS is flying in. I say we give him a single-engine Cessna.
@aeronathan- thanks for the insight. I was not aware of the plans. Could you imagine EADS submitting a bid and the US giving the contract to Airbus for Air Force One?? That would go over really, really well!!!
There is an ongoing plan to replace the Air Force 747-200 based VC-25s sometime around 2017. In all probability it will be a 747-8i for a couple of reasons. Number one is that the AF isn’t likely to back off the redundancy requirements that lead to a 4 engine configuration. Number two, there are only 2 four engine birds in production, the 747-8i and the A380 and EADS has already said they won’t compete for the program. 747-8i wins by default….