A VVIP A380 The Ultimate in Airliner Conversions

摘要

Anyone who wants to customise their mode of travel to accommodate lots of friends - or perhaps adapt it to withstand terrorist attack - will find that there are companies prepared to take on the work. Plush car interiors spring to mind, as do the kind of extravagantly tricked-out yachts moored in the harbours of upmarket resorts. The world of aviation is no different - 'customised' aircraft have long been available for those who can afford it, such as members of royal families and heads of state. A classic example is the US President's aircraft, 'Air Force One'. In the 1960s and 1970s, a converted Boeing 707 transported the President and his entourage around the world. As time went on and his staff increased, 'Air Force Two' - a similarly configured aircraft - would follow it, carrying the extra personnel. Eventually a new Air Force One was ordered - a B747, so that the entire group could fly together. Although Air Force One can be used as an Airborne Command Post, its primary task, like those of the aircraft used by Royal Flights, is simply transportation from A to B.