The President’s Fleet Is A Feat Of Human Engineering

– Contributed content –

5 February 2018. When it comes to mind-blowing science, most people think about cool chemicals that react in amazing ways, or mother nature performing in ways that laws of physics can’t understand. But it isn’t just the raw, natural science that is incredible; there are human-made wonders that are truly sublime, and the President of the United States has the best of the best on that front, as his modes of transportation would suggest: Air Force One, Marine One and ‘The Beast’.

It is the most literal way in which technology has changed the face of politics. They really are marvels to behold, true feats of human engineering, all of which have been specially designed and built to ensure the “leader of the free world” is able to perform his job to the best of his ability no matter what dangers threaten him.

So, without further ado, let’s have a closer look at these three astounding vehicles and discuss some of the amazing features they each boast:

Air Force One (defense.gov)

Air Force One

1. The onboard electronics

This electronics system onboard this plane are so advanced it is able to withstand an electromagnetic pulse, jam enemy radar so that it is impossible to trace the plane’s flight path on a radar, has 85 secure phone lines, boasta a series of two-way radios, has flares on board that can be ejected in order to disarm any enemy missiles that may be directed toward it and has enough advanced secure communications equipment it can function as a mobile command centre, which is why it is frequently referred to as ‘The Flying White House’. All of this is incredible without it being on board a plane.

2. A flight time of forever

That’s right, Air Force One has an unlimited range, meaning it can carry the President wherever he needs to go without the need to stop at all. How is this possible? Simple (sort of!). Air Force One has the capabilities to refuel mid-flight. What happens is, a special fuel-bearing plane arrives when Air Force One requires refueling and, thanks to a special fuel cap on its nose, is able to connect to a fuel line fed from above. It’s quite something.

3. The speed of sound (almost)

Air Force One’s maximum speed is incredible, with this ginormous 75-meter plane possessing the ability to fly at speeds of 965 kilometers an hour, which is 75% of Mach 1. If you don’t know about Prince private jet yet, then definitely give them a look because, as you’ll see from their statistics, this is by far the fastest of the world’s presidential planes. In fact, according to reports, the F-16 fighter jets that were escorting Air Force One during the September 11 attacks had to ask pilot Colonel Mark Tillman to ease up on the throttle a bit. That’s impressive.

Marine One (hearstapps.com)

Marine One

For those that don’t know what Marine One is, this is the specialty-built helicopter that accompanies the president around the country and sometimes even goes overseas. But what makes it so amazing s the features it has, some of which we have detailed below:

1. This helicopter has the ability to cruise at a whopping 150-plus miles per hour and continue to fly at incredible speeds even if one of its three engines fails.
2. It’s safety features should an attack happen are second to none thanks to its ballistic armour, anti-missile defense systems and missile warning abilities.
3. It is also equipped with the same level of communications as Air Force One allowing the president to stay in contact with both the White House and The Pentagon no matter what.
4. The sound-proofing is so phenomenal on board this plane that the President, and all those on board, are able to communicate with one another in a normal tone of voice.
5. Oh, and it can comfortably seat 14 people on board.

The Beast (kinja-img.com)

The Beast

The President’s car, known as The Beast, is one of the most exclusive cars on the planet, which is not surprising really given who it is tasked with transporting. What is surprising is some of the features this car possesses, all of which are feats of human engineering.

1. Thick Hide: The body of this car is military grade armour that is five inches thick in its narrowest part and eight inches in its thickest. Not only this but the armour itself is made up of dual hardness steel, titanium, aluminium and ceramic, which is designed to break up any projectiles.
2. Protected Fuel Tank: As you can imagine, the fuel tank on The Beast is armour-plated to minimize the chances of this being targeted as a weak-spot. Should there be a direct hit, however, the tank is filled with a special foam that expands on impact and prevents any explosion from happening.
3. Kevlar Tires: Because the tires are made of kevlar, they are completely resistant to shredding and/or puncturing, while the steel rims on which they are housed ensure the car can continue driving at high speeds should the tires be destroyed.
4. No Electric Windows: Every window on board The Beast boasts five layers of glass, as well as polycarbonate, which means it can withstand almost all bullet-fire, even armour piercing bullets. What’s more, apart from the driver’s window, none of them have the capacity to open, and even then the driver’s only lowers by three inches.
5. Seal It Off: The doors are eight-inches thick and armour plated so that they can’t be penetrated by missile-fire. As such, they each way more than the cabin doors of a Boeing 757 aircraft. But that isn’t all because, once they are closed, they create a seal so that the occupants are protected from everything, even chemical attacks. The cabin even has its own supply of oxygen to ensure there are no weaknesses on this front.
6. Bloody Nora: As part of the President’s defence precautions, bags of the President’s blood type (Rh-negative) are stored on board should he require an emergency blood transfusion at any moment.

As you can see from this overview, the science that has gone into the President’s transportation options is sublime, and part of the reason why it is widely considered to be the most advanced on the planet.

The opinions in this post are those of the contributor and not Science & Enterprise.

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