On June 3, 1948, the United States Army Air Force and Douglas Aircraft Company unveiled a new presidential aircraft called the "Independence." The aircraft was designed to replace the "Sacred Cow," a DC-4. The "Independence" was a special military prototype of the DC-6 transport plane.

The aircraft has a cruising speed of 315 miles per hour and a range of 4,400 miles because of extra gas tanks. The interior was modified to carry 25 passengers and had four main sections including a large executive state room. The special paint job carries the stylized head of an American eagle. The feather motif was continued along both sides of the fuselage and onto the vertical stabilizer. (Click on airplane for additional information.)

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