…But no specific terms of the planned deal have been made public, & the ability of a future *Trump library* to take possession of the plane remains murky. And ethical issues are not the only complication.
Even if the terms of the transfer are finalized, current & fmr #AirForce acquisition ofcls have cautioned that getting the Qatari plane ready to be used by #Trump would not be easy.
#FactCheck #TrumpLies #law #emoluments #corruption #NationalSecurity
Boeing has already spent 5 years transforming the 747 planes the #Pentagon bought into #AirForceOne jets, w/upgrades including communications capabilities, missile defense systems & other measures to protect the planes from an EMP that could be caused by a nuclear bomb.
Dozens of small cracks in the body of the planes—which are commonly found in the 747-8 #Qatar plane model as well—also had been identified & repaired.
#Trump #FactCheck #TrumpLies #law #emoluments #corruption #NationalSecurity
…“It’s a big beast,” Marc Foulkrod, an aerospace engineer who at one pointtried to help #Qatar sell the plane, said in an interview….
“Boeing made a great airplane, & it’s a classic piece when you do the VIP version,” said Foulkrod, who has a consulting firm that helps wealthy clients & heads of state buy jets.
But such planes have a limited number of buyers. “You might find that one-off guy that has a super ego that wants to buy one & ride around it,” Foulkrod said.
#Qatar’s plane has a luxurious interior, but considerable work would be needed to prep the plane to serve as #AirForceOne —including ridding the jet of any hidden electronic listening devices & adding advanced communications equipment & specialized systems to protect the plane from a missile attack or other threats. And even if the plane is donated, the cost of those retrofits would be enormous, acc/to current & fmr #Pentagon ofcls: at least $1 billion.
