A concept image of the paint job chosen by President Biden for two new Air Force One jets. U.S. Air Force
Biden Ditches Trump’s Air Force One Paint Scheme For Classic Blue-and-White
But the new jets won’t have any polished metal.
President Joe Biden has decided to paint the new Air Force One in the classic blue and white colors—with a few tweaks—that have adorned presidential aircraft since the Kennedy administration.
The livery has three primary differences from the current two Boeing 747s, designated VC-25s, that serve as the flying White House.
“The light blue on VC-25B is a slightly deeper, more modern tone than VC-25A's robin's egg blue,” an Air Force statement said. “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.”
It’s a reversal from the red, white, and blue livery selected by former President Donald Trump that the Air Force says would have cost more money.
“A thermal study later concluded the dark blue in the design would require additional Federal Aviation Administration qualification testing for several commercial components due to the added heat in certain environments,” the Air Force said. Politico first reported that Biden would ditch Trump’s favored paint scheme last year.
Trump used to keep a model of the Air Force One with his preferred paint job on a coffee table in the Oval Office. It would often appear in pictures world leaders would visit the White House. A similar model has been spotted at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Boeing’s efforts have faced numerous problems, including shortages of workers and parts, that have delayed delivery of the first of two Air Force One jets until 2027. That means the winner of the next presidential election would get to fly on the jet, assuming it’s delivered on time and the necessary testing is finished.
On Friday, the Air Force released several new concept images of the color schemes. The plane in the pictures has the tail number 30000. The two 747s used today are tail numbers 28000 and 29000. The previous two Air Force Ones, which were modified Boeing 707s, were tail numbers 26000 and 27000.
The current Air Force One paint scheme is a variation of a design developed by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and industrial designer Raymond Loewy.