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- President Harry Truman used The Independence, a Douglas VC-118, as his Air Force One plane.
- The aircraft entered service in 1947, retired in 1953, and became a museum piece in 1965.
- Visitors at the National Museum of the US Air Force can walk through the historic Air Force One.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Air Force One!
It turns out, President Harry Truman’s presidential plane, a Douglas VC-118 named The Independence, was a bit of both. The aircraft was painted with the cartoon face of an eagle on the cockpit and a wing design on the fuselage.
Flown from 1947 to 1953, The Independence was only the second aircraft built specifically for the use of the president of the United States. The first was a Douglas VC-54C Skymaster named “The Flying White House,” also known as the “Sacred Cow.”
Now an exhibit at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, The Independence is one of several past presidential planes that visitors can walk through in the William E. Boeing Presidential Gallery.
I visited the museum in August to step inside Truman’s Air Force One. Take a closer look.
The Independence, a Douglas VC-118, served as the presidential aircraft from 1947 to 1953.
The Douglas VC-118 was a military version of a Douglas DC-6 commercial airliner. The plane was named for Truman’s hometown of Independence, Missouri.
The Independence arrived at the National Museum of the US Air Force in 1965.
After its tenure as Air Force One, the plane transported other VIP passengers as an Air Force aircraft.
Upon acquiring The Independence, the National Museum of the US Air Force restored its eagle-themed paint scheme to the way it looked under Truman.
Visitors to the museum can board the plane and walk through the aisles once reserved for the president and top government officials.
The self-guided tour began in the cockpit.
The Independence was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines, each with 2,100 horsepower. At top speed, it traveled at 360 miles per hour.
Its fuel tanks were larger than the Sacred Cow’s, which allowed it to fly anywhere in the continental US without refueling.
Behind the flight deck, the radio room featured old-fashioned navigation equipment that predated GPS.
The plane’s navigator used a dead reckoning computer, a handheld mechanical device that functioned like a slide rule, and an aircraft navigational plotter, which resembled a ruler with a protractor.
Crew seating was located behind the radio room.
A crew of nine people operated The Independence.
The VIP passenger area included windows with curtains and a table for eating and playing cards.
On one of the aircraft’s most famous flights, Truman flew to Wake Island during the Korean War to meet with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1950.
The cards displayed on the table were Air Force One-themed.
Modern Air Force One planes still offer souvenir mementos like Air Force One-themed M&Ms.
More seating was located further into the cabin of the plane.
The Independence could hold 24 seated passengers or sleep 12 people in narrow bunks known as berths.
In the galley, flight attendants prepared meals for the president and his entourage.
The galley featured a stovetop, sink, oven, and refrigerator.
The president’s stateroom was located in the back of the aircraft.
Truman enjoyed a private workspace furnished with a table decorated with the presidential seal.
Walking through The Independence showed me just how quickly Air Force One has evolved.
The Independence was only retired 72 years ago, yet it appears tiny and outdated compared to the Boeing VC-25A jets used by modern presidents, which are equipped with full medical suites, situation rooms, midair refueling capabilities, and other advanced technologies.
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