Back in June of 2019, then President Trump raised eyebrows when he announced a redesign of the presidential plane to a red, white and dark blue color scheme much closer to his own personal 757. It turns out, this paint scheme might not even work, as it might make the plane way too hot.
Updated Friday, June 10 1:45 p.m. EST - The Biden Administration has officially scrapped Trump’s paint design, according to Reuters.
I know what you’re thinking and no, I don’t mean “too hot” as in, just too damn attractive. The switch from the current light blue on the belly of the jet to Trump’s proposed dark blue would require significant cooling modifications, as the dark blue raises the temperature above acceptable operating limits for a small list of key components. To avoid the whole headache, the planes very likely will end up going back to the nearly 60-year-old livery currently in service, Politco reports.
Trump announced the color change during an interview on ABC. Here’s Trump showing George Stephanopoulos a coloring he did real good:
Inside the lines and everything! I’m sure Ivanka helped. Trump’s 757 has the same color scheme, only the dark blue is on the top of the aircraft, rather than the bottom. According to Politico, that’s where the trouble starts:
Because the scheme is darker than the traditional blue and white version, the plane may require modifications to cool some of its components, a person familiar with the discussion said. This person spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss options.
Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek confirmed the heat problem, but would not comment on whether a cooling modification is required if the White House opts for Trump’s red, white and blue.
“Further analysis concluded darker colors, among other factors, on the underside of the VC-25B aircraft might contribute to temperatures exceeding the current qualification limits of a small number of components,” Stefanek said in a statement.
At the time, Trump said the light blue John F. Kennedy-era livery didn’t work for the administration. Now that he’s out of office, the current administration is considering scrapping the problematic paint job altogether as Boeing is already staring down a $1.1 billion loss on the planes (the company agreed to a fixed price with the Air Force, meaning any losses would be taken on by the company.)
As a reminder, here’s what the current livery looks like, designed by Studebaker Avanti designer Raymond Loewy.
With shortages in both labor and parts, Boeing isn’t expecting to deliver the 747s until 2026 at the earliest—two years after their original delivery date. By then it is incredibly likely that the livery will be reverted back to Loewy’s classic, well-loved and functional design, according to Politico.