Donald Trump is still causing headaches for the White House, over a year after begrudgingly leaving office. In 2018, the former-president ordered Boeing to build two new Air Force One aircrafts, which the company’s CEO recently called “a very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn’t have taken.” It could set them back $660 million, mostly because Trump wanted the airplanes to be painted red, white, and blue instead of the blue and white color scheme that’s been used since the 1960s.
But, CNN reports, “it turns out the darker blue — which some observers say is similar to the color scheme on one of Trump’s personal jets — poses challenges to the military planes’ sophisticated electronics system that ensures the president can stay in secure communication with officials on the ground — even in the case of a nuclear attack.” The darker color “might contribute to temperatures exceeding the current qualification limits,” potentially turning the plane into a flying tanning booth. (It all makes sense now.)
Here’s more:
Painting is typically among the final stages of completion before a plane is delivered, so it’s unlikely the new jets will need to be repainted. The Air Force did not disclose when there will be a decision on the colors to be used, or what options are under consideration. The Air Force also didn’t say how the problem was discovered. The General Accountability Office said in a report issued Wednesday that the planes undergo a comprehensive series of tests as part of the multi-year process of upgrading two 747s for use by the president and other national security officials.
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know anything about planes, like how they stay in the air or why Con Air isn’t considered the greatest airplane movie of all-time. But it seems that the electronics system can’t be too “sophisticated” if the only thing standing between safety and the president learning about a nuclear attack is the color blue.
Meanwhile, Trump has no issues with trucks.
(Via CNN)