The engineering and design teams at Ford Motor Company have produced a unique Blue Angels Mustang. This one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang GT Blue Angels edition will be sold at the Gathering of Eagles charity auction July 28, during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) 2011 AirVenture Oshkosh, the “world’s greatest aviation celebration,” July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis.
Ford’s Blue Angels Mustang pays tribute to 100 years of naval aviation, which will be celebrated at AirVenture 2011 as part of the yearlong Centennial of Naval Aviation commemorations. The car will be on display inside the Ford hangar throughout EAA AirVenture.
Ford’s Blue Angels Mustang pays tribute to 100 years of naval aviation, which will be celebrated at AirVenture 2011 as part of the yearlong Centennial of Naval Aviation commemorations. The car will be on display inside the Ford hangar throughout EAA AirVenture.
The custom rear spoiler’s vertical tailfins, the “screaming yellow” gloss accents, inclusion of the Blue Angels script and crest all are drawn from the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company
All proceeds from the car donation and sale will benefit the EAA Young Eagles organization, which has provided free introductory flights to more than 1.6 million young people since 1992, while also teaching the value of hard work, personal responsibility, and enhanced math and science skills.
“The precision, discipline and excitement that define the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flight team are qualities we celebrate at Ford,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of Ford’s board of directors. “With this year’s beautiful Blue Angels edition Mustang GT, we’ve captured those qualities and paired them with the innovation Ford design and engineering team members build into all of our vehicles. Through this project, we take great pride in continuing our support for EAA and the Young Eagles organization.”
“The precision, discipline and excitement that define the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flight team are qualities we celebrate at Ford.”
To participate in the auction, candidates must prequalify by contacting Matt Miller in the EAA Development Office at (800) 236-1025 or by email, mmiller@eaa.org, by July 25. Visit Gathering of Eagles for more information.
Bells and Whistles Included
Ford’s Blue Angels Mustang GT was inspired by the acclaimed naval aviation performance demonstration team and the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft it flies.
The 2012 Ford Mustang GT sports many details and features based on the Blue Angels U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron. Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company
Features include:
- Blue Angels crest stitched into its leather racing seats;
- Interior offset stripes, inspired by the pilots’ flight suits;
- Cluster graphics; performance gauges; navigation screen images; instrument panel appliqués;
- Blue Angels script in the illuminated sill plates, and puddle lamps that project jet images when the doors open;
- Ford Racing supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 624 horsepower;
- Ford Racing components that include a handling pack, performance exhaust, and racetrack brakes;
- Unique chrome blue paint that is not available on a production vehicle anywhere in the world; and more.
The Young Eagles Auction is part of the EAA Gathering of Eagles at the EAA AirVenture Museum. The Gathering of Eagles annually draws more than 1,000 aviation enthusiasts in support of Young Eagles and other EAA programs that inspire young people to become engineers, aviators, astronauts, scientists and innovators – the aviation pioneers of tomorrow.
Maj. Brent Stevens, left wingman for the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, watches the wingtip of an F/A-18 Hornet during a July 7 practice flight demonstration over Pensacola Beach, Fla. The Blue Angels performed in the 2011 Pensacola Beach Air Show July 9 in cooperation with the Centennial of Naval Aviation. Ford’s design and engineering team developed the Mustang GT to commemorate the awe-inspiring Blue Angels and their aircraft and naval aviation’s 100th anniversary. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Johnson
“Ford is a longtime supporter of EAA and our mission to showcase the finest innovation and technology in flight,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA chairman/president and AirVenture chairman. “The high interest among aviators in the U.S. Navy and the Blue Angels Mustang team will make this a very sought-after item and ensure EAA’s ability to do some amazing things for our future aviation enthusiasts.”