(continued from above)
"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 Ford "Blue Angels"
Mustang pays tribute to 100 years of naval aviation, which will be celebrated
all week at AirVenture 2011 as part of the show's Tier 1 event status from the
U.S. Navy tied to its yearlong Centennial of Naval Aviation festivities. The car
will be on display inside the Ford Hangar throughout EAA AirVenture.
The
exterior of Ford's "Blue Angels" Mustang GT was inspired by the acclaimed naval
aviation performance demonstration team and the F-18 Hornet aircraft it flies.
The car's 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 aircraft. The unique chrome blue paint, courtesy of Creations n' Chrome, is
unlike anything available on a production vehicle anywhere in the world.
With the Blue Angels crest stitched into its leather Recaro racing seats, the
car's interior also features offset stripes inspired by pilot flight suits.
Additional unique details of the "Blue Angels" Mustang include cluster
graphics, performance gauges, navigation screen images, safety belt fabric,
instrument panel appliqués, rear seat-delete and cross-brace, Blue Angels script
in the illuminated sill plates and puddle lamps that project jet images when the
doors open.
Under the hood, the "Blue Angels" Mustang is all performance
with a Ford Racing supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 624 horsepower.
The Ford Racing components also include a handling pack, performance exhaust and
racetrack brakes.
Mustang Chief Designer Darrell Behmer, Design Manager
Melvin Betancourt and Chief Nameplate Engineer Dave Pericak lead the design and
engineering teams that developed the "Blue Angels" Mustang.
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.
Ford Mustang GT Blue Angels Edition: Review (2/2)