747-200 and A380-800 capacity

[chornedsnorkack]

How much usable floor area does a Boeing 747-200 (VC-25/E-4B) have? And how does A380-800 compare against this?

Roughly how are the usable spaces of VC-25 and E-4B divided? I mean, the basic layout of both is public domain, and there should be a rough idea of the numbers.

E-4B layout:
http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/ph ... utaway.jpg

Parts of the interior are similar. Both VC-25 and E-4B have principal

[Brett_Henderson]

Sounds feasible to me.. But I don't think they'd want to drag national emergency communication and control hardware around on every junket, campaign, public relations, political and and "appearance" flight. Like.. would you want the E-4B systems parked somewhere in the Middle East while the President is attending a funeral or something ?

[Mictheslik]

And would the American military buy an airbus product *cough*KC-X*cough*....perhaps not

.mic

[C]

And would the American military buy an airbus product *cough*KC-X*cough*....perhaps not

.mic

What are you trying to say?

History proves they'll buy (makes a change, we like to lease things over here, as we're daft) the best kit for the job - just look at the US-101, and as you said, KC-X...

[pepper_airborne]

I think they should go with a 707 . Atleast it looks sleak and majestic!

[specter177]

Sounds feasible to me.. But I don't think they'd want to drag national emergency communication and control hardware around on every junket, campaign, public relations, political and and "appearance" flight. Like.. would you want the E-4B systems parked somewhere in the Middle East while the President is attending a funeral or something ?

Actually, they do drag a E4 around every time the president goes overseas.

[C]

. Like.. would you want the E-4B systems parked somewhere in the Middle East while the President is attending a funeral or something ?

I'm fairly sure it'd be parked in a secure location, and there's only a couple of huge USAF bases in the middle east.

[Brett_Henderson]

I'm fairly sure it'd be parked in a secure location, and there's only a couple of huge USAF bases in the middle east.

That's why this is a bad idea.. We can't have THE E-4B going everywhwere that the President would go. Secure base or not. We can't have THE command and control platform hopping around the globe.

[an-225]

Well, to add my two cents, and to highlight what I think Brett is getting at...

...I belive such a platform would cost far too much to be viable. The beauty of the VC-25 is that it is furbished mainly for its role of carrying the president. With some satellite communications. The airframe is relatively cheap.

The beauty of the E-4B, is that it has a dedicated purpose of being the doomsday airplane. Radiation filters, hi-band satellite antenna etc. There is a relatively high need for multiple aircraft too.

ONE A380 costs around 317 MILLION USD. An A380 without a comms suite, and other military requirements.

One E-4B costs about 200 million.

One VC-25 costs 325 million.

These two Boeing aircraft have different roles and are therefore required in different numbers.

Buying two A380s and refurbishing them as a cross between the VC-25 and the E-4B would be too expensive.

[C]

We can't have THE command and control platform hopping around the globe.

Never seen one of the hop. I thought they flew?

[chornedsnorkack]

Well, to add my two cents, and to highlight what I think Brett is getting at...

...I belive such a platform would cost far too much to be viable. The beauty of the VC-25 is that it is furbished mainly for its role of carrying the president. With some satellite communications. The airframe is relatively cheap.

The beauty of the E-4B, is that it has a dedicated purpose of being the doomsday airplane. Radiation filters, hi-band satellite antenna etc. There is a relatively high need for multiple aircraft too.

ONE A380 costs around 317 MILLION USD. An A380 without a comms suite, and other military requirements.

One E-4B costs about 200 million.

One VC-25 costs 325 million.

Priced when?

Without comms suite and other military requirements, a VC-25 is a standard green 747-200. E-4B ditto. B747-200 is not for sale now, it is out of production. A green B747-800 is about US$ 250 millions or so. Fitting it out extra with comms suite would cost a lot on top of that.

Buying two A380s and refurbishing them as a cross between the VC-25 and the E-4B would be too expensive.

US AF is asking for 3 planes, to be delivered in 2017, 2019 and 2021. And they are considering A380 as option.

If they use this only to replace VC-25, they are spending huge sums to replace two VC-25 747-s with 3 A380-s that are VC-25 plus a lot of unused space, and they still have to be trailed by the then very old E-4B-s. If they equipped that excess space of those three A380-s with the E-4B functionality, they could ground most of the 4 E-4B-s and achieve savings thereby.

[Anxyous]

Slightly unrelated, but I could see why the president would use an A380. He's the most powerful man in the world, having the largest plane as well works as a symbol. He couldn't fly all over in a C172, now could he?

[OVERLORD_CHRIS]

And would the American military buy an airbus product *cough*KC-X*cough*....perhaps not

.mic

Yes the MILITARY would......Congress however will not

Actually, they do drag a E4 around every time the president goes overseas.

Ditto

That's why this is a bad idea.. We can't have THE E-4B going every whwere that the President would go. Secure base or not. We can't have THE command and control platform hopping around the globe.

Like what was said, yes the E-4 goes with the President every where. It shadows the President ever place he goes when he leaves United States Air Space, encluding the back up VC-25. The plane itself keeps a low profile for it's size and nature.

[chornedsnorkack]

But for the question at hand, with today's computers being 10-times faster then what they were in the late 70's-early 80's, not to mention smaller too with flat screens,

This is a flagrant violation of Moore

[OVERLORD_CHRIS]

[quote]This is a flagrant violation of Moore