Inside SAM 26000, the Air Force One that carried eight presidents

SAM 26000 was the first Air Force jet built specifically for US presidents and flew as Air Force One from 1962 to 1998, carrying every leader from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton. Vice President Al Gore summed up its place in history on retirement: "If history itself had wings, it would probably be this aircraft." After 36 years and about 13,000 flying hours, the Boeing VC-137C was retired to the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

The jet is a customized version of a civilian 707-320B, powered by four Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines. First lady Jacqueline Kennedy worked with industrial designer Raymond Loewy to choose the plane’s blue-and-white color scheme and added the words "United States of America" to emphasize its role as the president’s aircraft.

Visitors can walk through SAM 26000 in the museum’s William E. Boeing Presidential Gallery, which also houses earlier presidential planes.

United States, Dayton, Ohio

sam 26000, air force, vc-137c, 707-320b, tf33, jacqueline kennedy, raymond loewy, national museum, dayton ohio, presidential gallery