Air Force One vs Putin Force One: which is more impressive?

Summary

The video compares the iconic Air Force One Boeing 747 and Russian President Putin's Ilyushin IL-96-300PU presidential aircraft. It analyzes their size, speed, range, defensive capabilities, amenities, costs and more. While the American plane is more advanced technologically with better amenities, the Russian jet has a more luxurious interior. The video also discusses controversies around the costs of the new Air Force One 747-8i that is set to replace the current VC-25 aircraft.

Takeaways

• 😲 The Air Force One and Russian presidential plane are iconic aircraft that demonstrate national power and prestige
• 😎 The Air Force One Boeing VC-25 is one of the most recognizable planes ever with a distinctive livery created by Raymond Loewy
• 🔬 The Russian presidential plane is one of 5 customized Ilyushin IL-96-300PU aircraft with the PU standing for “Command Post”
• ✈️ Both the VC-25 and IL-96-300PU travel in pairs for backup and can withstand nuclear blasts due to shielding
• 💪 The VC-25 is bigger and more powerful than the IL-96-300PU with greater range, thrust, weight capacity and amenities
• 🛫 The IL-96-300PU has a slightly larger wingspan but the VC-25 is much longer and can refuel midair to extend range
• 🤑 The VC-25 cost over $650 million per plane compared to a rumored $150-550 million for the IL-96-300PU
• 🍽 The VC-25 can carry 3,000 meals with a full kitchen while the IL-96-300PU only reheats pre-made meals
• 👔 The VC-25 front section is configured like the White House with offices and conference rooms
• 🏋️‍♂️ Both presidential planes have gyms, bedrooms and meeting spaces but the IL-96-300PU interior is more lavish

Q & A

What are some key differences between Air Force One and Russia's presidential aircraft?

Some key differences are that Air Force One is based on a Boeing 747 while Russia's aircraft is based on the Ilyushin Il-96. Air Force One is longer, heavier and has more powerful engines and likely greater range. Russia's plane appears more lavishly decorated while Air Force One aims for more functional businesslike interiors.

How many presidential aircraft does each country operate?

The US operates two VC-25A Air Force One aircraft at any given time that fly in pairs. Russia is believed to ready five Il-96-300PU aircraft for each of Putin's trips, with Putin selecting one to fly on at random.

What special capabilities do the presidential planes have?

Both aircraft feature extensive shielding, defenses against nuclear blasts, electronic countermeasures, flare dispensers, and robust communications to serve as airborne command centers. Their exact capabilities are classified.

What amenities are present on each plane?

Putin's plane contains a bedroom, gym, conference room and more passenger space. Air Force One has more office and meeting rooms and supports a staff of dozens. Air Force One can carry substantially more food.

How much did each aircraft cost?

The VC-25A Air Force Ones cost over $325 million each in the 1980s, over $1 billion today. Estimates for Putin's newer plane range from $70-550 million.

How do the liveries and iconography compare?

The Air Force One livery is iconic and has changed little over decades. Russia's aircraft livery has changed as the fleet moved from a commercial to government entity and is less recognizable.

Why does the US have only two primary presidential aircraft?

The US operates only the two VC-25As due to their tremendously high cost of acquisition and operation. Adding more aircraft was likely seen as prohibitively expensive.

What new presidential aircraft developments are upcoming?

The US has contracted for two new VC-25B Air Force Ones based on 747-8s that were meant to enter service in 2024 after cost overruns. Little is publicly known about future Russian plans.

What major technical issues have the aircraft faced?

The Russian aircraft has reportedly suffered from mechanical failures, brake failures and aborted takeoffs, pushing Putin at times to fly on backup aircraft. The VC-25A has maintained high readiness rates.

How regularly do the presidents fly on these aircraft vs. other planes?

The VC-25A is used exclusively for the US President, who flies on it domestically and overseas routinely. Putin flies both on the Il-96-300PU and other aircraft depending on the trip.

Outlines

00:00

😲 A Comparison of the Air Force One and Russian President's Plane

The first paragraph describes the important purposes that presidential planes like Air Force One and the Russian President's plane serve in projecting power and status. It then compares features of the two aircraft, like size, speed, range, and history. Specifically, it discusses how Air Force One is an iconic aircraft known the world over, while the Russian plane is more obscure.

05:04

🛫 Comparing Size, Capacity, Range, and Cost

The second paragraph delves deeper into comparing technical and performance characteristics of the planes. It highlights the greater size, passenger capacity, range, and cost of Air Force One versus the Russian aircraft. However, the Russian plane is noted to be more luxuriously appointed inside.

Keywords

💡Air Force One

Air Force One is the call sign given to any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President. It refers specifically in the video to the Boeing VC-25, a highly customized Boeing 747-200 used to transport the President since the 1990s. The plane's iconic livery and prominent appearances in films have made it a globally recognizable symbol of the American presidency.

💡rivalary

The video compares the American and Russian presidential planes as representations of the perceived power and technological capabilities of the two nations. Their size, specifications, features, and capabilities are contrasted almost as competing symbols of national pride and strength.

💡specifications

The video provides some technical specifications of the planes such as wingspan, length, weight, engine power etc. It contrasts these to compare size, capacity and capabilities between the American and Russian aircraft.

💡defense systems

Both being military aircraft, the planes carry specialized defense systems to protect against attacks and nuclear threats, including shielding, jamming equipment and countermeasures.

💡communications

The planes serve as flying command centers, allowing the President and his team to remain in secure contact with government and military officials and coordinate operations.

💡interior

While details are scarce, the video contrasts the more spartan, functional interior of Air Force One with the ornate, lavish decorations and spaces for conferencing, dining and recreation in the Russian plane.

💡cost

The video highlights the extremely high costs of these customized planes, with Air Force One costing over $350 million per plane and the new VC-25Bs expected to cost billions.

💡age

The advanced age of both planes is noted, with the VC-25 based on a 1960s-era 747-200 and the IL-96-300PU based on a Soviet-era design from the 1970s-80s, despite upgrades.

💡replacements

New replacement aircraft are under development for both countries, the VC-25B for the U.S. and potentially upgraded IL-96s for Russia, but these are over budget and behind schedule.

💡symbolism

As mobile offices/command centers transporting their heads of state, the planes carry both practical and symbolic importance, representing national power and advanced technological capability.

Highlights

The presidential aircraft represent power and prestige of US and Russia - visual symbols of aviation prowess.

Air Force One is an American icon due to its history of transporting presidents around the world since 1990s.

Putin's plane - Ilyushin Il-96-300PU - is lesser known but garners attention from aviation enthusiasts.

Both planes can withstand nuclear blasts due to heavy shielding and have electronic countermeasures.

The planes serve as airborne command centers, allowing presidents to govern and wage nuclear war.

At 70.7m, Air Force One is longer, while Il-96-300PU has slightly larger 197 ft wingspan.

With more thrust and 60 tonnes extra capacity, the American plane is much more spacious.

Il-96 likely has longer range at 9,200 mi vs 7,800 mi for VC-25, extended by aerial refueling.

Both planes are equipped as mobile offices and living quarters catering to presidents' needs.

Il-96-300PU has lavish decor with gold and tapestries, contrasting VC-25's 80's office style.

VC-25 can carry 3,000 meals with a full kitchen; Il-96 has limited pre-made meal capacity.

VC-25 cost $325 million each in 1980's dollars; Il-96 was likely much cheaper.

Replacement VC-25B 747-8is face delays and huge cost overruns over $4 billion.

True cost of Putin's plane is unknown; reported between $70-550 million.

VC-25B will far surpass Il-96-300PU cost despite lacking luxury fittings.

Transcripts

Stakes were high as Joe Biden and

Vladimir Putin met in Geneva the meeting

may not have resolved International

tensions but at the very least it

provided a chance for both the United

States and Russia to affirm their

positions and convince their allies of

their firm intentions showing off is an

important part of such meetings and both

countries certainly have an act for

demonstrating their perceived might

through whatever means possible the

airplanes with which presidents arrived

are among such means massive 4 engine

beasts of both presidents are some of

the largest passenger aircraft in the

world and are a demonstration of the

very best both countries aviation

industry can offer of course it is

impossible to say which aircraft is more

impressive the impression is a

subjective thing but it is possible to

compare them so arguably the Air Force

One is the best known aircraft ever and

while technically any US Air Force

aircraft carrying the country's

president gets assigned the Air Force

One Call Sign everybody knows the Air

Force 1 the iconic Boeing vc25 a deeply

modified

747-200 Which flies American Presidents

since the early 9s with the Livery

created by a famous industrial designer

Raymond Loy and an interior by Nancy

Reagan the aircraft became an icon

through scores of presidential visits

all over the world as well as its

depictions in Hollywood films Donald

Trump's attempts to change the liery

were met with harsh criticism and it

appears that American presidents are

destined to travel with the this iconic

look for decades to come there are two

VC 25s in existence and they always

travel in pairs just in case there is a

problem with one of them the

presidential seal on its door is a

prominent part of every picture of the

American head of state arriving in any

country as is the site of the Monstrous

airplane landing the Russian counterpart

is much less known yet quite often

gathers attention from Aviation

enthusiasts nonetheless following the

American fashion any aircraft carrying

the Russian president is assigned a call

sign plane number number one normally

that aircraft belongs to the special

flight Detachment Russia which is

subservient to the directorate of the

president of the Russian Federation the

Detachment has over 65 aircraft from

helicopters to business Jets to

longrange airliners and is tasked with

transporting Russian government

officials the crown jewels of this Fleet

are of course the five illution IL 96

300p widebody aircraft the newest of

them was introduced in April 2021 while

the oldest one dates to the '90s

According to some sources all five

aircraft are being readied every time

Putin prepares to travel somewhere and

the president chooses the plane he

intends to fly on at random this story

may not be correct but just as with the

vc2s the IL 94300 pus also travel in

pairs to avoid stranding Putin in case

of an emergency this did not always work

though the plane became notorious due to

its mechanical failures and broke down

on numerous occasions in 2005 as Putin

was visiting in Finland the braking

system malfunctioned during takeoff the

president had to continue the journey

home on a backup il62 the liery of the

Russian presidential aircraft well not

as iconic is a piece of History too in

the past the special flight Detachment

rasia was a part of the airline Russia

and bore its Livery all white with a

strip of the Russian flag in 2009 the

Detachment was transferred to the

presidential directory and became

independent from the airline in 2018 the

airline updated its delivery while the

detachments aircraft remain the same the

models by modern standards both

presidential aircraft are dinosaurs the

Boeing 747 dates back to the 1960s while

the 747 200b on which the vc25 is based

was introduced in 1971 it has many

features of newer aircraft including the

CF 680 C2 engine also used in the

747400 and a glass cockpit and has been

constantly upgraded through its three

decades long career the the illusion i96

300 puu is in many aspects a relic of

the Soviet Union it is based on the IL

96 airliner itself an upgrade from the

IL 86 the first Soviet widebody

developed in the 1970s the IL 96 was

introduced in the late 80s and featured

many improvements nevertheless its life

was short manufactured in small

quantities and plagued by technical

problems the aircraft was unwanted by

Russian Airlines the Russian government

and Military Remain the most Avid

operators of this model and are the only

ones who will fly the IL 96 400m the

much advertised but ultimately

unsuccessful next iteration of the

aircraft the most striking feature of

both aircraft is of course their size

both are 4 engine widebody planes that

would often find themselves as the

largest in almost any airport the

Russian one has a slightly larger

wingspan at 6.11 M or 197 ft 3 in versus

the vc25 59.9 M or 196 F 8 in but the

American one is significantly longer

7066 M or 231 f 10 in versus the IL 96

is 55.3 M or 181 ft 7 in the 747 is

heavier as well its maximum takeoff

weight or M being Greater by almost 60

tons its engines also produce almost 60%

more thrust all of this results in the

cc25 being much more roomier than the

Russian counterpart and being able to

carry much more equipment amenities and

Personnel other specifications of both

aircraft can't be confirmed and are

mostly a subject of speculation they

most likely have a fairly similar Cruise

speed and service ceiling the rumored

range of the Russian aircraft 14,800 km

or

9,196 Mi is larger than that of the vc25

which stands at 12,600 km or 7800 miles

but the vc25 has a provision for aerial

refueling which can extend its range

many times over as long as an aerial

tanker is nearby the juice well

outwardly both airplanes resemble the

models they are based on the insides are

very far from their commercial

counterparts the most peculiar feature

of course is the defensive equipment

both aircraft carry for obvious reasons

nothing specific is known about it but

as per available information both

aircraft have heavy shielding and can

withstand radiation from a nuclear blast

they are also equipped with electronic

warfare Suites that can jam

Communications and confuse anti-aircraft

weaponry and carry flare and shave

dispensers to lure away incoming

missiles another noteworthy feature is

the communications equipment both the

vc25 and the IL 94300 puu are designed

to serve as mobile command posts

allowing their respective presidents to

keep in touch with the governments and

if need be wage nuclear war while in

Flight famously there is twice more

wiring in the vc25 then on a regular

747-200 while the length of the IL 96

300 pus wires is not known the Pu in its

name stands for punked a ravenia command

post one can only hope that the military

capability of both planes is never going

to be imployed meanwhile the routine

operation of presidential aircraft rests

on other capabilities according to

available information Putin's plane

contains a gym a bedroom with a

king-size bed a 10 s m or 108t off and a

conference room with nine seats the vc25

has a gym as well but its office space

is considerably larger the whole front

of the aircraft is Dub the White House

and contains a meeting room a dining

room and a Communications room each of

them judging from photos larger than

Putin's conference room the rest of the

American aircraft is dedicated to staff

quarters and offices it appears that a

much bigger part of the IL 96 300p is

dedicated to personnel and living space

the Russian aircraft is also much more

luxurious its gold and gyms Adorn

interior designed by Russian artist Ivan

glazov is nothing but lavish in

comparison with Nancy Reagan's strict

80s office-like look of the vc25 there

is one aspect of luxury in which the

Russian aircraft sorely lacks though the

vc25 famously carries a provision for

3,000 meals and a full-fledged kitchen

the IL 96 300 puu has a kitchen as well

but it packs only pre-made meals to be

reheated by flight attendants reportedly

on more occasions than one Putin was

dissatisfied with the quality and

variety of meals served on his airplane

saying that he is being forced to eat

the same food again the price the one

aspect in which the presidential planes

of the US and Russia differ the most is

their cost American taxpayers paid $325

million for each vc25 in the early 1980s

over $1 billion in today's money it also

costs

$210,800 half a squadron of f-35s not

including costly upgrades and

refurbishments that it undergos

constantly the price estimates of

Putin's plan very wildly According to

some reports the cost of the new IL 96

300 puu introduced in 2021 plus 70

million others put it as high as $550

million the higher estimate may more

likely be closer to the truth but there

is no way to know the real price of the

jet also quite surely a large part of

the money was dedicated to the luxurious

interior of the plane its equipment and

systems being significantly cheaper than

those on the vc25 there is also the

controversy with the vc25b the new

American presidential plane based on the

Boeing 747 8i which is supposed to

replace the current one by 2024 Boeing

phas delays and cost overruns bloating

the initial contract price of almost $2

billion per plane to yet unknown size it

is quite clear that the cost of the new

vc25 will put Putin's il9 six to shame

and it won't even feature golden

decorations and antique tapestries in

its

interior