1943 was the year the air force first came up with the idea that the president of the
United States was likely better off traveling on his own airplane as there were safety issues
with the leader sitting among the hoi polloi on commercial jet liners.
That year a somewhat uncomfortable-looking bomber called the C-87 Liberator Express was
fitted out to carry a VIP and it was renamed the, "Guess Where II."
But that didn't quite work out as this plane didn't have the best safety record, and
so it was replaced with a C-54 Skymaster.
This was also converted to carry a VIP and it went by the name of "Sacred Cow."
In 1945 it took its first trip carrying Franklin D. Roosevelt and the presidential plane was
born.
Today we'll see how these planes have developed, in this episode of the Infographics Show,
Why Does Air Force One Fridge Cost $24 Million.
In case you don't know, Air Force One isn't the name of an aircraft but any aircraft that
carries the Commander-in-Chief.
It's really just the radio call sign used for the plane, but we have come to know Air
Force One as the plane itself.
The White House official website tells us that the president can choose any number of
ways to travel, and Air Force one is just one option.
That website states that the planes belonging to Air Force one right now are two Boeing
747-200Bs, except of course they are no ordinary planes and have been highly customized for
the big man in charge and his entourage.
We'll get around to just how customized soon, but first let's look at some other
details.
We should also mention that on Boeing's website the company states that the 747-200s
will soon be replaced with 747-8s.
You can't miss the plane as emblazoned across it are the words, "United States of America,"
and of course it also comes with the Stars and Stripes flag.
The White House tells us it has an "undeniable presence wherever it flies."
But it's not just aesthetically unique.
This plane is capable of refueling in mid-air, so for all intents and purposes the president
could just keep flying as long as he wanted to.
We are told that without refueling it could stay in the air for around 15-17 hours.
It can fly at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour (1,126kph) and can reach heights of 45,100
feet (13,746 meters).
Boeing tells us that the current planes have an area of 4,000 square feet, making each
plane what it calls a "flying Oval Office."
It has three main levels; the bottom mostly for cargo; the middle for passengers and the
top for communications.
It certainly sounds a bit more comfortable then a regular plane, and no doubt no passengers
find themselves stuck in the middle seat of the middle aisle with a broken entertainment
station, next to a snoring neighbor whose head rocks about intermittently over an 8-hour
flight.
Air Force One has its own dining room, conference room, office, medical facility (operations
can be done here and a doctor is always on board), as well as luxurious quarters for
both the president and the first lady.
It has areas for staff, media, or anyone else who might be on board, and also a couple of
galleys that can accommodate 100 people when it comes to mealtime.
As for technology, Boeing tells us that these planes are equipped with "state-of-the-art
navigation, electronic and communications equipment; its interior configuration and
furnishings; self-contained baggage loader; and front and aft air-stairs."
Boeing doesn't go into details regarding the tech on board, but we found out that there
are around 85 onboard telephones, around nineteen TVs, lots of two-way radios, fax machines
and of course connected computers.
Like Boeing says, it really is a home from home, or should we say an office away from
office.
On top of this, the plane has to be made from special material and we are told that the
238 miles (383kms) of wiring that connects all this tech – twice the length of wiring
on any normal 747 – is protected by something called heavy shielding.
Yep, even if there was a nuclear blast the president would still have all his connections
intact and perhaps not have his game of Angry Birds Friends interrupted.
In terms of defense technologies some of this is a secret, and for good reason.
But some sources tell us that it is equipped with flares that can out smart heat-seeking
missiles and it also has electronic counter measures which can jam radar signals of enemies.
As for weapons on board, well, that bit might just be classified, but we know that fighters
are likely never far away anyway.
We are told that many areas of the plane are restricted to a very few people, so it's
not like journalists can just go anywhere they want.
There is some level of secrecy when it comes to just what is on the plane.
The president probably doesn't have much to worry about while flying, with one aviation
website calling the planes the most secure in the world.
All of this comes at a cost, and the website Defense News told us in 2018 that the new
planes Boeing will supply will set the White House (well, the taxpayer) back a cool $3.9
billion.
No doubt these planes are going to be good, very good, as good as can be, the best.
President Trump agrees, saying in 2018, "It's going to be the top of the line, the top in
the world.
And it's going to be red, white and blue, which I think is appropriate."
So what about this fridge?
24 million?
OK, so a smart fridge might tell you that you left the door open via your phone, but
one of those things will only cost you a few thousand bucks.
What does a multi-million dollar fridge do, produce its own food out of thin air or perhaps
shrink you and your family and let you ski inside the freezer compartment?
We shall explain.
Ok, so we lied, the fridge, or two fridges, didn't have a price tag of $24 million.
The actual cost was $23,657,671, according to The Washington Post.
We are told that the plane had five chiller units, but two needed replacing and that was
the figure Boeing came up with.
So, give or take a few bucks, each of these units would cost $12 million.
Hmm, is Boeing just taking advantage of the U.S. government and the American taxpayer?
Defense News says that is not the case, and the main reason stuff on this plane costs
so much is because it's so bespoke.
What does that mean?
Well, let's imagine a worst case scenario, a kind of Mars Attacks narrative in which
the president and up to 100 others are up in the sky while all hell is breaking loose
down on Earth.
We know the plane can stay up in the air indefinitely, and let's just imagine that the president
and the others had to stay up there while the militaries of the world defeated the bulbous-headed
aliens.
A hundred bellies take a lot of filling, especially when they need filling over a period of days,
and this is the main reason why Boeing is charging a princely sum for the fridges.
Defense News tells us, "The requirement for Air Force One is the ability to feed passengers
and crew for weeks without resupplying.
That means storing about 3,000 meals in massive refrigerators and freezers below the passenger
cabin."
These fridges we are told are also very reliable, they have back-up systems and much more advanced
technology than the fridges you'll find elsewhere.
We are also told that the folks that make these fridges, that fit them, they are all
sworn to secrecy and given high-level security clearances.
This all adds to the cost.
This is also a problem when we try and find out what is so special about these things,
because Air Force One doesn't let the media know all the details.
An Air Force One spokesperson said this, "The engineering required to design, manufacture,
conduct environmental testing and obtain Federal Aviation Administration certification are
included in the cost."
Boeing was also contacted by some of the U.S. media and the company offered this statement,
"Only the U.S. Air Force can discuss that airplane or that work.
You'll need to contact their press desk in the Pentagon."
In that same article, the Air Force added a little more information about the fridges,
but not much.
A spokesperson said, "There are four different areas for cold food storage throughout the
aircraft: five chillers and 26 climate-controlled compartments.
We are replacing two cold chiller units, which includes eight climate-controlled compartments."
In fact, none of the big media, the New York Times, The Guardian over in the UK, could
offer a detailed explanation of why the fridges were so expensive.
One consultant speaking to The Guardian did say the money wasn't being wasted.
In a statement he said, "It's not a contractor issue, it is a requirements issue.
It's not getting people rich."
That's about all we can tell you, but we will also add that the government canceled
the contract because, in the words of one person, the contract just "didn't pass
the smell test."
That doesn't mean the fridges smelled badly.
It's an idiomatic term meaning the price or the product was questionable.
The government said it won't get the new fridges, and instead it will wait until 2024
when the new planes are delivered.
Just out of interest we had a look around for the world's most expensive fridges.
These were more household fridges rather than giant industrial ones, but we found one fridge
said to be the size of a car.
The magnificent-looking thing is made by an Italian firm called Meneghini, and the fridge
is called "La Cambusa."
It costs $41,500 if you get the best version.
You can even get a TV added to the door.
It's quite the fridge alright, but nothing compared to Air Force One's behemoth that
never got fitted.
Now we want to ask you what you think?
Could these fridges be worth every cent?
Maybe you have an idea as to what makes them so expensive, other than what we have said
already.
Also, be sure to check out our other show Why Is The Government Terrified Of This Hacker.
Thanks for watching, and as always, don't forget to like share and subscribe.
See you next time.
For more infomation >> Jack's Two Lives Collide - This Is Us (Episode Highlight) - Duration: 5:00. 
For more infomation >> US FIREFOX: Shawn Mendes Gives a New Meaning to the Word "Smolder" in His Calvin Klein Ad - Duration: 2:56. 
For more infomation >> Chuggington: Late Again Eddie (US Dub) - Duration: 10:11. 
For more infomation >> YOUR WORST ENEMY IS YOU!! [Us Trailer Reaction]! - Duration: 8:18. 
For more infomation >> Kolumbien: US-Militärflugzeuge fliegen humanitäre Hilfe an die venezolanischen Grenze - Duration: 2:31. 
For more infomation >> US FIREFOX :Hamidou Diallo wins dunk contest; Jayson Tatum best in skills challenge - Duration: 5:06. 
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét