A380 as Air Force One.

David747 · Post by **David747** » 17 Oct 2007, 13:37

Interesting story at flightglobal, but it will never happen, but then again, imagine if it does happen.

http://tinyurl.com/29hndh

C-46commando · Post by **C-46commando** » 17 Oct 2007, 19:06

I have to say, and I might get hell for saying it, but it does look better than the current Air Force One.

FLY4HOURS.BE · Post by **FLY4HOURS.BE** » 17 Oct 2007, 20:51

They can call it the B380, if they need to, for political reasons (Boeing outsourced the product to Airbus...)

But this is very very beautiful

mmciau · Post by **mmciau** » 17 Oct 2007, 22:27

Won't happen!!

Mike

Gliderpilot · Post by **Gliderpilot** » 17 Oct 2007, 23:48

It looks nice fore sure, but if they upgrade the AF1 to a 744 or 748, it will also look better than todays AF1.

PYX · Post by **PYX** » 17 Oct 2007, 23:54

C-46commando wrote:I have to say, and I might get hell for saying it, but it does look better than the current Air Force One.

Must be a matter of personal taste.
IMO, the A380 is the ugliest airliner ever built. Reminds me of an old Citroen from the 1960s.
On the other hand, I find the A340 to be a very attractive design.

FLY4HOURS.BE · Post by **FLY4HOURS.BE** » 18 Oct 2007, 00:36

It's like women.
Some men like them thin, some like them fat.
The A380 is the fat kind.

TexasGuy · Post by **TexasGuy** » 18 Oct 2007, 02:22

mmciau wrote:Won't happen!!

Mike

You are probably right, but i do know for a fact that the US Gov. does look at all alternatives in these matters

The next AF 1 will probably be whatever upgraded B747 Boeing has to offer.

Ozzie1969 · Post by **Ozzie1969** » 18 Oct 2007, 10:25

Anyone who claims that this could never happen is obviously under the impression that the US Armed Forces only buy and fly American-made aircraft, which is totally untrue.

David747 · Post by **David747** » 18 Oct 2007, 13:07

I think people might view a foreign made Air Force One as a national security problem. Trust me, if more talk of an A380 happens in the next few months and years, you will hear the Lou Dobbs of the world crying about it.

blackbox · Post by **blackbox** » 18 Oct 2007, 19:16

Let's just wait for the first president of the United States of Europe...

8)

David747 · Post by **David747** » 18 Oct 2007, 19:40

AirCruiser · Post by **AirCruiser** » 18 Oct 2007, 20:54

Unfortunately there is more chance of the A380 being used as AF1 than we Europeans have of electing a President for the EU.

It is simply that the US is democratic and Europe is bureaucratic.

S

Post by **ElcoB** » 18 Oct 2007, 20:59

AirCruiser wrote:It is simply that the US is democratic and Europe is bureaucratic.

Fox-news?

chunk · Post by **chunk** » 18 Oct 2007, 21:28

AirCruiser wrote:Unfortunately there is more chance of the A380 being used as AF1 than we Europeans have of electing a President for the EU.

It is simply that the US is democratic and Europe is bureaucratic.

S

Good stuff. Next time we rig an election over here we'll give you a shout on when we need to know how to make sure the courts find in the 'right' favour.

Fox news? For that read Sky News here......that will do for the off topic nonsense i would say!

RC20 · Post by **RC20** » 18 Oct 2007, 22:27

Maybe the most interesting item in that group was the A400 for the special forces.

Frankly I have never thought of it. I don't know if it suits mission profiles, but it certainly beats out the Herc in range and payload. Maybe even a future gunship.

Keep in mind that any buy that has quantity to it has to be made in the US. So low buys maybe, but not in any quantity. I can just see an A380 production line being setup in Alabama (where Airbus took even more bribes (err state Aid) than Boeing took to stay in Washington state). Alabama could then nationalize the EADS assets and sell A330s and A380s to the world!

I think the idea of a 747 or A380 buy has merit, as I think the Air force misuses its resources in that regard. A C17 was not intended (though its capable with aerial refueling) to fly from the US to the mid east continuously. It was intended to fly Europe to the middle East and longer range missions within the Middle East (and other areas) extra regional and inter regionally. They are wearing it out trying to fill in for the horrible mission rate the C5 is getting.

The bulk of the material should be flown by a VLF to central area.

But the A380 does not directly replace a C5 anymore than a 747 can. They do not have the cargo space setup (Boeing is better with the nose opening). A380 has two split decks, not one. The military is more like (probably worse) than the normal air freight companies, in that they need the density capability the 747 offers, not the bulk that the A380 offers).

Again, that is not biased, its a fact that the only real A380F orders we package freight companies, not the air freighter companies.

Neither the A380 or the 747 can land in the places a C5 can, and unless the air force changes its delivery structure (and you cannot deliver some of those loads anyway) its smoke.

Most of it seems air force moves to keep some competitive pressure on Boeing.

Post by **ElcoB** » 18 Oct 2007, 22:38

Most of it seems air force moves to keep some competitive pressure on Boeing.

Yes, good conclusion with valuable arguments.

David747 · Post by **David747** » 18 Oct 2007, 23:52

I agree with RC-20 on the C-5, it has more capabilities than an A380 type military freighter. As a military plane, the A380 is not one, except for carrying people(Air Force One). Even there I don't see the US government giving a contract to Airbus to build the President's plane. But it would be neat to see the A380 as Air Force One

AirCruiser · Post by **AirCruiser** » 19 Oct 2007, 13:19

chunk wrote:
AirCruiser wrote:Unfortunately there is more chance of the A380 being used as AF1 than we Europeans have of electing a President for the EU.

It is simply that the US is democratic and Europe is bureaucratic.

S
Good stuff. Next time we rig an election over here we'll give you a shout on when we need to know how to make sure the courts find in the 'right' favour.

Fox news? For that read Sky News here......that will do for the off topic nonsense i would say!

It's a pity you consider it off topic whereas I see it as very pertinent. In the US they have a democratically elected president hence they can have AF1. In Europe we can't really have an AF1 as our presidency is decided by bureaucratic rules and is done at the country level (rotating presidency) rather than at the elective level.

As for your comment that the US election was rigged, please stay on topic.

Do try and keep up.

Steve

Buzz · Post by **Buzz** » 19 Oct 2007, 18:35

RC20 wrote:Keep in mind that any buy that has quantity to it has to be made in the US. So low buys maybe, but not in any quantity. I can just see an A380 production line being setup in Alabama (where Airbus took even more bribes (err state Aid) than Boeing took to stay in Washington state). Alabama could then nationalize the EADS assets and sell A330s and A380s to the world!

Small correction: I don't believe Airbus is actually going to build A330's in the USA. They will fly 'green' aircraft to the USA and convert them in to tankers there...