Air Force One is an aeroplane of superlatives.The most secure, the best maintained, the most recognisable...And with a US$5.3bn price tag and current running costs exceeding US$250,000 an hour it demands the most generous of presidential budgets to keep it in the air. Technically speaking, Air Force One is the callsign used for any US Air Force (USAF) aircraft that is carrying the commander-in-chief - the president -although the term is widely used to refer to the two customised Boeing 747-200Bs-officially Boeing VC-25s - regardless of whether or not the president is on board. Air Force One is a powerful symbol of the US presidency - a flying White House designed to operate in the most dire of situations, including a nuclear attack. It also projects the military, political and cultural might of the United States, with its baby blue and white paintwork instantly recognisable throughout the world. So when the USAF announced that the two current examples were coming to the end of their lives, a national discussion was ignited over what the replacements should and could look like. As that project gathers pace, a new documentary has lifted the lid on the fascinating story behind the jet's 21st century upgrade.
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