With the imminence of the high-profile US-North Korea summit in Singapore on June 12, there has been a lot of buzz about US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's respective aircraft that will be touching down on the island country.
While there are no prizes for guessing that Trump will be arriving in style aboard the iconic presidential Air Force One, Kim's choice of aircraft remains much of a mystery.
Although it has been widely reported that Kim would be using his official private plane, Chammae-1, to make the long-haul flight, no official statement has been made confirming that the Soviet-era aircraft would make an appearance in Singapore.
Nonetheless, the consensus is that the Chammae-1 would most likely be the North Korean leader's choice of transport. Given its ability to cover the 4,950km direct journey from Pyongyang to Singapore without the need for fuel stops, it seems to make the most sense for him to use it, albeit with some doubt due to the plane's age and waning condition.
With that, here are some things you should know about Air Force One and Chammae-1.
Air Force One
US President Donald Trump's Air Force One is a specially configured Boeing 747-200B and it's the newest as well as largest presidential airplane to date, according to Boeing.
Unlike most other conventional commercial airliners, Air Force One is capable of longer range flights for presidential travel, aerial refueling and self-sufficiency at airports around the world, which means that it never has to dock itself at a terminal.
The iconic aircraft has served five US presidents in times of peace and crisis since 1990, playing the role of a mobile airborne White House, says a report by CBS News.
The "Air Force One" call sign was permanently bestowed following a near collision accident in 1953, when a control tower confused President Eisenhower's plane – call sign Air Force 8610 – with Eastern Airlines flight 8610 as both entered each other's airspace.
Aerial powerhouse
The 70.66m-long Air Force One is equipped with four General Electric CF6-80C2B1 jet engines, allowing it to punch through the air with 56,700 pounds of thrust and fly at 965km/h (Mach 0.92) – almost the speed of sound.
Compared to typical commercial airliners that fly at altitudes of up to 9,100m, Air Force One is capable of soaring at a maximum altitude of 13,750m.
It can also attain a flight range of 12,600km without the need to refuel – although emergency in-air refueling is still an option.
"Flying Oval Office"
Dubbed a "flying Oval Office," Air Force One boasts 4,000 sq ft of interior floor space divided into three levels, housing a plethora of accommodations.
Starting from the front, the aircraft contains a presidential suite and private office which was upgraded with telecommunications equipment capable of establishing air-to-ground contact, following the 9/11 terror attacks.
The mid-section of the plane houses a conference room which doubles as a dining room, two fully equipped galleys which can serve up 100 meals at a time, and quarters for guests, presidential staff, media representatives and Air Force crew.
Towards the rear are work spaces for secret service and security personnel as well as a press section for journalists.
Air Force One can even serve as an airborne nuclear bunker, with armor plating that allows it to withstand nuclear blasts from the ground.
Its communications centre located at the upper deck carries onboard electronics that are shielded against electromagnetic interference in the event of a nuclear explosion.
Armed with wing-mounted mid-air defenses that repel enemy missiles, an electronic countermeasure defence system that cripples radar and armoured glass for all its windows, it's no wonder Air Force One is often described as a "flying fortress".
See the rest of the story at Business Insider