Boeing in talks to sell Tansaero 747s for Air Force One replacement

Boeing is in talks with the Air Force to sell two 747-8i airframes that were bound for Transaero before the Russian cargo company went under in 2015. The aircraft were completed, and put into storage in California and at Everett. They were never painted, and only have limited test flight hours on them.

This would save the Air Force a lot of money in airframe costs, as they're not having to buy the long lead items, or build an entirely new airframe. They would get some discount on them as being completed airframes. The airframes were LN1519 and 1523.

airwaysmag.com...

I hope these planes are being guarded by people that can be trusted.. What kind of service life does the current Air Force One have left?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thats good news.
Hey, so I was driving by Wright Pat today and I saw an odd 747 landing ,flew quite low over the 675 north...it had a hood of sorts on the top just behind the cabin..
An American flag on the tail and a medium blue horizontal line bisecting the length in the middle of the body.

Any ideas what it was? It had no other markings just that odd roof protrusion flag and blue stripe

a reply to: BlueJacket

It's the LCF. They use it to move 787 parts from overseas, as well as odd sized cargo. Boeing converted them and Atlas operates them.

a reply to: iTruthSeeker

They've been sitting in storage since they were built. They have flown the initial test flights and that was it.

originally posted by: iTruthSeeker
I hope these planes are being guarded by people that can be trusted.. What kind of service life does the current Air Force One have left?

Are you worried about sabotage or bugging stuff? No doubt those aircraft will get completely stripped out and the interiors refitted etc

Also, I assume the new AF-1's will have to be taken to Kirtland AFB for electronic testing. Atlas 1 is still there I wonder if they will EMP test the sucker as well?

a reply to: FredT

They have multiple options for testing. The KC-46 just tested at Benefield and Pax where they hit it on the ramp with a more portable setup.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks

a reply to: Zaphod58

You beat me too it.

I was going to post this earlier today.

One persons loss is another gain I guess.

This should piss off a few Russians I think.

a reply to: grey580

It's not like Transaero is still around. This isn't like the Mistral deal with France. This time the company is gone.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I thought another company assumed the debt.

They abandoned the planes right?

a reply to: grey580

Yes. They ordered them in 2013, and Boeing began building them, and before they were completed they declared bankruptcy, towards the end of 2015. The aircraft were already being built so it was cheaper to finish them, but no one took them on so they were sent to Victorville to go into storage. They went through the first test flights, but weren't painted or anything else.

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Zaphod58

...it had a hood of sorts on the top just behind the cabin..
An American flag on the tail and a medium blue horizontal line bisecting the length in the middle of the body.

Any ideas what it was? It had no other markings just that odd roof protrusion flag and blue stripe

Probably an E-4..

a reply to: EBJet

No, it was one of the LCFs. I've been at Moses Lake and caught it going by on FR24 while watching for Boeing tests into the Lake. It was heading into Everett.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The guy said he was at Wright Pat, and the LCF doesn't have a stripe, just a blue vertical...

a reply to: EBJet

I missed that when I read it. In that case, it probably was the E-4. There's only the one right now I think still.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah it didnt have the whole hump on top just a smaller, yet ztill fairly large lump up front on the top of the cabin

a reply to: EBJet

Just looked it up...you are correct. Awesome to be right next to that beast landing.

a reply to: BlueJacket

I missed the bit where you said where it was, and caught an LCF heading over Washington so misidentified it.

There are four E-4Bs. Two were damaged in a tornado a little over a month ago, and one is in PDM, leaving one remaining in service for now.

a reply to: Zaphod58

So they are an aerial command center? Emergency Government or Military...or both?