Free Republic

A 747 at close to the speed of sound? Test pilots at an Israeli aircraft company successfully flew a 747 freighter at 98 percent of the speed of sound in a safety demonstration for the Federal Aviation Administration. Israel Aircraft took the speed test as part of its plans to convert old passenger 747s into freighters. Menachem Shimol, a test pilot for Israel Aircraft, reported that its test plane reached 0.98 Mach in an 18-degree dive from 36,000 feet Sept. 30. Pilots described the high-speed experience as ''a little frightening''but said they were confident the plane would remain controllable. In...

Key Points Ford is resurrecting the Mustang Mach 1 as the new global “pinnacle” of 5.0-liter V8 models for the famed pony car. The automaker digitally unveiled the limited-edition car Tuesday. Such “buzz” or “hype” models aren’t bestsellers but are considered important to attract attention to entire brands and vehicle lineups. =========================================================================== 2021 Mustang Mach 1 Ford =========================================================================== Ford Motor is resurrecting the Mustang Mach 1 as the new global “pinnacle” of 5.0-liter V8 models for the famed pony car. The automaker digitally unveiled the limited-edition car Tuesday. It features greater performance than the current Mustang GT but is expected...

A former French Army paratrooper is in the process of planning a le Grand Saut or "Super Jump" in an attempt at breaking several parachute records... as well as the sound barrier. Michel Fournier, 63, is hoping to break records for the highest ever parachute jump, the longest sky dive, and the highest altitude achieved by a person in a balloon during his attempt to be the first person to break the sound barrier in free-fall, according to the UK Daily Mail. (The current record holder, Air Force Capt. Joseph Kittinger, "only" reached 614 mph -- about Mach .90 --...

On June 4th, 1989, at an Air Show in London, Ontario, Canada, an RF-4-C Phantom of the Mississippi Air National Guard, accidentally cracked Mach-1, while doing the Show opening.As luck would have it, we were standing underneath it at the time. The photo was snapped by my brother as he was being blown off his feet:Cool, huh?...

10/28/02 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Aviation legend and retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager gave the F-15 Eagle one last ride Oct. 26, bringing his 60-year career flying military aircraft to a close in front of thousands of fans at the open house and air show here. Yeager, with Edwards test pilot Lt. Col. Troy Fontaine in the back seat, opened the event by climbing to just over 30,000 feet and impressed the crowd with his infamous sonic boom. Yeager first broke the sound barrier at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in October 1947 when...

Good news for gearheads! It looks as if FoMoCo is out to secure the top musclecar slot for itself in the new century. This ride is one of my "dream cars", more photos are available at this excellent link for all things 'stang. The original article, which features tech specs, can be found HERE AT STANGNET