Latest Breaking News

The 747 line was still operational when the order was originated, but someone decided that it would be cheaper to retrofit the existing airframes. (It wasn't.)

All wiring throughout the airframe had to be removed and replaced with hardened materials to help mitigate EMP. There was also a whole shit-ton of rework required to meet the security and safety criteria. There were also several changes that the Orange Turd demanded during his first mis-administration ...like removing the mid-air refueling capability. Many of the things he demanded be removed required a lot of additional deconstruction and reconstruction. The dark paint scheme he mandated also screws with the thermal characteristics.

A lot of the extra costs were his own damn fault. And now they are actually talking about 'retrofitting' other existing airframes to serve as the presidential aircraft, which will incur additional untold costs just to meet the security and survivability criteria, n to to mention the communications and defensive attributes that are in the current aircraft. It's obvious that this idiot has no concept whatsoever about what is actually involved in this type of manufacture.