Pentagon Picks Boeing 747-8 to Be the Next Air Force One

The next official aircraft carrying the President of the Free World will be the latest Boeing 747-8. The aircraft maker is apparently working on a fleet of three aircrafts based on the 747-8, to serve as the next Air Force One. The latest jumbo jet from Boeing features new wings, new engines along with an extended fuel tank capacity. The new  aircraft sports design cues dating back to the 60s.

Currently, the U.S President’s fortress in the sky is the Boeing VC-25, a tweaked military variant of the 747-200. It dates back to 1990s, making it a very old aircraft technologically. Thus, the VC-25As have become less cost effective to operate while the newer 747-8 is more fuel efficient and technologically advanced.

Current Air Force One

It was officially declared by the U.S Air Force that the Boeing 747-8 will serve as the next presidential aircraft. Though it seems Mr. Barack Obama won’t get to experience this new ride, as the first one won’t be delivered until 2018, which will be followed by five years of testing before it becomes the President’s new ride.