Ford is giving a big help to young flyers of the Experimental Aircraft Association by designing a one-of-a-kind Raptor. Following the design cues of a F-22 fighter jet, this Raptor is just oozes cool.
The F-22 Raptor will be auctioned off for charity at the EAA Gathering of Eagles on July 27, 2017 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This annual fundraiser supports youth aviation programs and last year’s event generated $2.2 million towards this goal.
The EAA says they are “a community of aviation enthusiasts who promote and support recreational flying. More than 200,000 members worldwide share a common passion for all things aviation. EAA is headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and hosts the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Fly-In & Convention every July, according to their website.
According to the State Aviation Journal, Ford design manager Melvin Betancourt lead the modification work on the truck along with engineering support from the Ford Performance team. Working together they helped fuse the design elements of the jet into the truck as well as improve the performance of the truck.
Among these additions is the custom grille with the silhouette of the F-22 Raptor, light bar, full-size spare tires in the bed and additional carbon-fiber bodywork. Ford Performance also added Whipple intercoolers to the EcoBoost engine pushing horsepower up to 545 (450 base) and added upgraded brakes to help contain the extra HP.
“Ford’s support of EAA and AirVenture has allowed thousands of young people to discover, enjoy, and pursue aviation,” said Dave Chaimson, EAA’s vice president of marketing and business development. “The unique F-22 version of the tremendously popular Ford F-150 Raptor truck will be an enormously popular highlight of the Gathering of Eagles auction, and we’re very grateful for Ford’s support for our initiatives.”
For those with the financial desire to park this in your garage, event attendees and prequalified bidders calling in by phone will be able to bid on it during the auction. For more information, contact EAA’s development office at 800-236-1025 or email the office at gathering@eaa.org.