Warbird Information Exchange

Not specifically Warbird, but related

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxb45-ztG5Q

Built by Galpin Auto Sports for the USAF as a recruitment tool.


























Shay
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Semper Fortis

Sorry, but what a misallocation of funds !

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"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Wow, pretty cool looking! I assume that the cars will actually be functional and drive?

From the youtube video, in the descriptive summary, " These cars dont only look like some of the most hardcore muscle cars ever made but have a remodeled interior that make them look like army planes".

HHHmmm, why would an Air Force car be promoting army planes? LOL!

BTW, that's not the first time that a Mustang car has been used by the Air Force. Mustang GT's were used as chase cars to assist U-2's during the 80's until 00's. IIRC, they were all retired not too long ago.

Why do you say so RichH? It's a recruiting tool to help promote a career in the Air Force. Today's kids are driven by technology, computers, video games, etc. That car features those attributes heavily and if it helps recruit more people to join, they I would say the money is well spent.

Why so? The recruitment arm of the USAF gets an alloted budget and has to spend it in way that will acheive their mission statement. Seems like theyre headed in the right direction.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

On the recruitment note......I'm gonna play a little "Devil's Advocate" here..........

The Thunderbirds are seen as a "recruitment tool," but as a very good friend of mine who's made a career in the Air Force says, "I've not once met anyone in the Air Force that said they joined because they saw a Thunderbirds performance."

Soooooo, what does make a good recruiting tool? A fancy car with an ejection seat? The Thunderbirds with their spiffy airplanes and chrome wheels on their ground support equipment? Or maybe just "typical" airplanes in the fleet, such as F-15s, C-17's, etc.?

Just trying to get a feel for what WIXers think of it.

Gary

I'll buy one when it gets a "Master Arm" switch.

Tim

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www.tailhookstudio.com

BFD

I think the biggest bang for the buck are two things, t.v. adds and posters and photos of aircraft in flight.

Well, I can't talk for others, but I can tell you what made me want to go into the Air Force for a LONG time before I eventually decided against it. First off it was a real enjoyment of aviation. No one in my family had ever been a pilot, but my folks loved history and took us to airshows (my first was before I was a year old - in San Marcos - I think we still have the program!) a lot. Second, having friends who were in the Air Force who were enthusiastic about their jobs, and made a little guy want to "be just like that." Third, an Air Force general who flew me to Airsho '95 in his private plane !
I probably would've tried for the AF Academy if our family hadn't started taking much more seriously some different beliefs about what kind of course the nation was taking. You have to be 100% behind your actions if you're going to be dropping bombs, or launching missiles. Most of the time I could, but there have been a few situations since then I was glad I didn't have to choose between my conscience and my orders.
Cars? Huh? Ugh.

Ryan

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

to the point!

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

What a waste of money, something that the USAF and the US military excels at. Any half-bright kid is going to judge if the military (or AF) is the thing for them based on the facts and merits. So far as I know every high school student is still required to take the ASVAB test so it's not like anyone hasn't heard or considered military service.
But this car does not even represent a measurable % of the money the AF wastes on a daily basis, so who cares.
But FWIW I would recommend joining the USAF to anyone without hesitation.

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All I did was press this red button here...

I joined the Air Force because of the Thunderbirds! So there, you've heard of at least one!

That car, in and of itself, might not cause somebody to join the Air Force, but combined with an effective ad campaign, and the exposure it gives to kiddies at air shows, car shows, and public events, if nothing else, will open up a dialogue between a casual observer and a recruiter which might not have otherwise occurred. Like it or not, recruiting is just like mass marketing, but with a different outcome. Any exposure is good for the product.

My 2 cents!

Maybe the USAF got jealous of the Navy's Corvette. Took this a couple weeks ago.

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Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.

That's a lot less than the Army spends on Tony Schumacher and NHRA but I see the kids lined up at every NHRA event to go through all the virtual displays so something must be working right.

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The more I learn about aircraft, the more I realize I still have to learn.