Model Airplanes

Tuesday morning, President-Elect Donald Trump sent out a tweet expressing dismay at the cost of the ongoing process to build a new pair of planes to serve as Air Force One. (Perhaps not coincidentally, this was shortly after Boeing’s CEO expressed concerns about Trump’s trade policy.)

Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2016

Trump spokesman Jason Miller expanded on the statement during a call with reporters. Per the Washington Post:

“I think this really speaks to the president-elect’s focus on keeping costs down across the board with regard to government spending. I think people are really frustrated with some of the big price tags that are coming out for programs, even in addition to this one. So we’re going to look for areas where we can keep costs down and look for ways where we can save money.”

That $4 billion number is fuzzy at best. As Boeing has pointed out in a statement, the company is only under contract for $170 million currently, and the Air Force has earmarked $1.65 billion for the project. The Government Accountability Office, meanwhile, has estimated a total cost of $3.21 billion.

Now set those numbers aside for a second,

Article source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/airlines/a24175/trump-canceling-air-force-one-bad-idea/

Is Boeing’s custom Air Force One 747 getting too expensive for the next commander-in-chief?

1990- current, Boeing 747, VC-25A 1990 – current, Boeing 747, VC-25A

By 2024, the current presidential jet used by President Obama comes to the end of the road of its 30-year design life. (The president-elect would not get a chance to fly in a new Air Force One unless he is reelected.)

Chicago-based Boeing has been contracted to make presidential jets since the early 1960s.

On Boeing’s website it says, “From Presidents Roosevelt to Obama, Boeing airplanes have transported U.S. presidents around the world. The U.S. Air Force announced that it will continue the Boeing tradition with the 747-8, which will replace the two 747-200s that serve as the presidential Air Force One fleet. When the 747-8 takes flight as the next Air Force One, Boeing airplanes will mark more than half a century of presidential service through the Jet Age.”

According to Popular Mechanics, the Air Force One name came about when an Eastern Airlines commercial flight entered the same airspace as a plane carrying President Eisenhower in 1954. The problem was, both planes had the same call sign. Ever since, Air Force One has been the designation for the President.

“We want Boeing to make a lot of money but not that much money.” —President-elect Donald Trump.

While the cause isn’t clear, however Trump’s tweet was sent a mere 22 minutes after the Chicago Tribune published an article on the differences between Trump and

Article source: https://thebossmagazine.com/cutting-boeing-contract-business/

OTTAWA – One of the longest and most contentious defence procurements in Canadian history will inch closer to conclusion Thursday when the federal government announces a replacement for the military’s ancient search-and-rescue planes.

The decision comes 14 years after the Chretien government first launched plans to replace the air force’s Buffalo and Hercules aircraft, the oldest of which have been flying since the 1960s.

What followed was a series of missteps and controversies eerily reminiscent of those that have plagued the effort to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 fighter jet fleet.

Public Procurement Minister Judy Foote and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan will announce the winning bid during an event at Canadian Forces Base Trenton alongside air force commander Lt.-Gen. Mike Hood.

Government officials weren’t talking Thursday, but industry sources say European aerospace giant Airbus has won with its C-295 design, beating out Italian firm Leonardo, which entered its C-27J Spartan into the multi-billion-dollar competition.

Brazilian company Embraer had also submitted a design, but was not seen as a contender.

The government originally budgeted $3 billion for 17 aircraft plus a 20-year maintenance contract, but those numbers have since been erased and the companies were asked to include in their bids the number of aircraft they think Canada needs.

The Buffalos and older-model Hercules are used to respond to thousands of emergencies across the country every year.

The government is expected to frame Thursday’s announcement as a win for the air force and Canada’s troubled military procurement system, which has been the subject of withering criticism in recent years.

Yet the

Article source: http://www.680news.com/2016/12/07/feds-set-to-pick-new-military-rescue-plane-14-years-after-project-started/