The first RAF wedgetail will be a 10 year old ex Chinese airliner.

[NutLoose]

So much for the new fleet.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38536/first-royal-air-force-wedgetail-radar-plane-will-be-converted-from-ex-chinese-airliner

[Fareastdriver]

Should have lots of Huawei stuff in it.

[charliegolf]

So NOT a Chinese airliner then. As such.:E

CG

[SWBKCB]

BBJ, so the executive jet version - probably lower hours than one out of airline service? Additional tanking already installed?

[Imagegear]

I hope they swept all the trash out.

IG

[Non Linear Gear]

So much for the new fleet.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38536/first-royal-air-force-wedgetail-radar-plane-will-be-converted-from-ex-chinese-airliner

Have a bedded in Boeing..

[tdracer]

BBJ, so the executive jet version - probably lower hours than one out of airline service? Additional tanking already installed?
Yep, additional fuel tanks is standard for the 737-700 BBJ (it has the same wing structure and close to the same MTOW as the -800).

I doubt there is much of the original electronics and wiring left untouched during the Wedgetail conversion (even the original aircraft avionics need to be hardened for the HIRF environment).

[roger4]

Aren't all five going to have to be conversions of existing BBJ airframes? The E-7 Wedgetail is based on the 737NG (700ER or 700BBJ variants) which is no longer in production.

[Less Hair]

They will not fly that much later on compared to airliners so taking any young and low hour BBJ second hand as a base airframe for conversion creates no problem. Chinese or not.
Even the next AF1 is some converted commercial airframe however zero hours. Both aircraft.

[roger4]

Off topic but....

New AF1 are a pair of 747-8s that were never delivered and have been in storage in the California desert for some time. I hope President Biden orders them to be painted in the existing Kennedy-era colour scheme, rather than the scheme that he-who-must-not-be-named chose, looking almost the same as his B757! I have always thought the US Presidential scheme to be hugely iconic, and unlike any run of the mill airline scheme (apologies to all run of the mill airlines).

[Less Hair]

AF 1's current livery was designed by Raymond Loewy and should be kept as it is.
Will the RAF's Wedgetail be in fact light grey or white as on the graphic?

[Asturias56]

Isn't the replacement Air Force 1 an ex Russian order.?

[tdracer]

Aren't all five going to have to be conversions of existing BBJ airframes? The E-7 Wedgetail is based on the 737NG (700ER or 700BBJ variants) which is no longer in production.

Boeing still has a low-rate line producing 737s for P-8/E-7 conversions - based on the 737 NG. So new build aircraft are still available.

Isn't the replacement Air Force 1 an ex Russian order.?
Yes, as roger4 notes, the AF1 747-8 Intercontinentals were built for the Russian airline Transaero - which declared bankruptcy shortly before they were to be delivered.
One was used as a backdrop during Boeing's 100th anniversary back in 2016 - before being stored in the desert.
I believe at least one has been moved from the desert to San Antonio, Texas for the AF1 conversion (dual APUs, airstairs, aerial refueling, and a bunch of other stuff I can't talk about).

[NutLoose]

Isn't the replacement Air Force 1 an ex Russian order.?


Nowt wrong with that, the RAF uniform material also was.

The first two U.K. P8’s are second hand hulls to speed up production and the final three are new hulls. It seems an odd decision to not use the latest still in production variants, I wonder what advantages the model selected has over the -800... or erm the Max.

With the RAF now looking at operating these with the infrastructure being put in place, wouldn’t it make sense to aquire a secondhand pax / freight version or two that the could operate instead of the aging BAe 146 etc as you would have a lot of commonality spares wise.


..

[Buster Hyman]

RAF Wedgetail. Now with added MSG! :ok:

[roger4]

AF 1's current livery was designed by Raymond Loewy and should be kept as it is.
Will the RAF's Wedgetail be in fact light grey or white as on the graphic?

All the existing Wedgetails (Australian, Korean and Turkish) and gloss pale grey, i.e. the same as the P-8s.

Our first BBJ was photographed arriving at Birmingham in the week with a bare fuselage, but with fin/rudder, wings, engine nacelles, nose and tail cones already painted in gloss pale grey.

[Boeing Jet]

Should have lots of Huawei stuff in it.

Hope they check for bugs first !!

[sturb199]

Nowt wrong with that, the RAF uniform material also was.

The first two U.K. P8’s are second hand hulls

..

Er no they are not, they are all new builds.

[NutLoose]

Er no they are not, they are all new builds.

This said they were


https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38536/first-royal-air-force-wedgetail-radar-plane-will-be-converted-from-ex-chinese-airliner

[NutLoose]

And this shows it stored

https://www.jetphotos.com/info/737-38633 and the current location as BHX Birmingham.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=946BC

and

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/first-uk-wedgetail-arrives-for-conversion-by-sts/141909.article

[rattman]

This said they were


https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38536/first-royal-air-force-wedgetail-radar-plane-will-be-converted-from-ex-chinese-airliner

Unless I missed where they were refering to P8's what you linked talked about wedgetails. different aircraft, assuming you had a brain fart

[NutLoose]

Looks like i had a long loud one in post 14... though my original post referred to the wedgie.

better slope off for a shreddie change.

[Freeman Lowell]

Boeing still has a low-rate line producing 737s for P-8/E-7 conversions - based on the 737 NG. So new build aircraft are still available.


Yes, as roger4 notes, the AF1 747-8 Intercontinentals were built for the Russian airline Transaero - which declared bankruptcy shortly before they were to be delivered.
One was used as a backdrop during Boeing's 100th anniversary back in 2016 - before being stored in the desert.
I believe at least one has been moved from the desert to San Antonio, Texas for the AF1 conversion (dual APUs, airstairs, aerial refueling, and a bunch of other stuff I can't talk about).

Apologies for thread creep, but "aerial refuelling'? I thought the twice impeached president ordered that this option be deleted. Did those who know better mis-hear the order?

[Less Hair]

It hopefully might have slipped in again. You'd need to know before you install the cabin. It doesn't make sense to not make it inflight refuelable.

[NutLoose]

Or at least fit all the relevant plumbing.

[Less Hair]

A refit later on will be some pita.

[TBM-Legend]

All the existing Wedgetails (Australian, Korean and Turkish) and gloss pale grey, i.e. the same as the P-8s.

Our first BBJ was photographed arriving at Birmingham in the week with a bare fuselage, but with fin/rudder, wings, engine nacelles, nose and tail cones already painted in gloss pale grey.


The RAAF E-7's are a slightly lighter shade of gloss grey than the P-8's....