VC-9C

VC-9C. S/N 73-1682. , This VC-9C, serial number 73-1682, transported America's top leadership from 1975 until 2011. Much of that time it served as Air Force Two for Vice Presidents Walter Mondale, George H.W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, and Dick Cheney., It also served several of America's First Ladies: Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary R. Clinton, and Laura Bush., When this aircraft was needed to transport Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, or George W. Bush into smaller airports, it served as Air Force One., It also transported visiting world leaders such as Queen Elizabeth II and the Chief of Staff of the People's Republic of China., This VC-9C has extended-range fuel tanks and was also the first to have a special communications suite installed for the vice president. From 1975 until 2005 it was assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB, Maryland. From 2005 until 2011 it was assigned to the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott AFB, Illinois. Although 37 years old when retired, it only had a total of 16,300 flying hours, not many by airlift standards.,

Specifications , Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas , Type: Executive transport , Powerplant: Two 14,500-lb-thrust Pratt and Whitney JT8D-9 turbofan engines , Maximum Speed: 562 mph , Range: 2,900 mi. , Service Ceiling: 37,000 ft , Max Takeoff Weight: 120,747 lb , Crew: Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer, flight mechanic, four flight attendance, and four security agents , Payload: 42 passengers , Dimensions: , Wing Span - 39 ft 5 in , Length - 119 ft 4 in , Height - 27 ft 6 in

, [Captions, clockwise from top left:] , The museum's VC-9C taxis out for departure on its final flight to Dover Air Force Base, Above: A ceremony marking the first delivery of VC-9C, 73-1682, Special Air Missions transport to the U.S. Air Force was highlighted by cutting the ties of two 89th Military Airlift Wing officers who headed the crew that flew the twin-engine jet to Andrews AFB., The paint scheme on the museum's aircraft was first used in 1962 and is still used on presidential aircraft today., A SAT-COM dome is included for secure communications., It takes six people four 8-hour shifts to polish the aluminum.