President Biden has selected a new paint design for the 747s that will fly as the “Next Air Force One,” VC-25B, which are currently being worked on by Boeing for delivery in 2027 and 2028.
The iconic 747 has flown for 6 U.S. Presidents, only designated as Air Force One once the President is onboard. The new livery however really doesn’t look much different from the current one for VC-25A. But there will by three primary differences.
“The light blue on VC-25B is a slightly deeper, more modern tone than VC-25A’s robin’s egg blue,” says the Air Force. “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.”
A previous design selected under former President Trump’s administration in 2019 was later axed, after a thermal study found “the design would require additional Federal Aviation Administration qualification testing for several commercial components due to the added heat in certain environments,” says the Air Force.
Few details about upgrades for new 747s
Boeing recently delivered the last 747 they will ever produce. The two being modified for the VC-25B, the next “Air Force One” are already built airframes from a previous international sale that fell through.
According to the Air Force, the current VC-25A planes face capability gaps, rising maintenance costs, and parts obsolescence. The new VC-25B fleet will “feature electrical power upgrades, a mission communication system, a medical facility, an executive interior, a self-defense system, and autonomous ground operations capabilities.”
