Thunderbirds Mustang set to fly at auction as jets stay grounded

Due to the federal sequester, the Air Force's elite Thunderbirds squadron can't fly all year, save for this special-edition Mustang GT, which will be auctioned for charity.

Ford's aircraft-themed Mustang coupes have become an annual tradition in Wisconsin, where more than 10,000 planes land each summer for one of the world's largest air shows.

For this year's Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Ford tacked a widebody kit and 22-inch rims to a 2014 Mustang GT and painted it like the F-16 fighters of the Thunderbirds, a special squadron that travels the country promoting the Air Force. 

The Thunderbirds Mustang also sports a white underbody tray with an aircraft graphic along with puddle lamps that illuminate another graphic when the doors are unlocked. The rear seat is gone, and racier Recaro seats with embroidered Thunderbirds logos are part of the package. The 5.0-liter 412-horsepower V8 engine remains stock.

But this Mustang will be the only Thunderbird running in Wisconsin, as the entire jet fleet – along with the Navy's Blue Angels – have been grounded nationwide due to federal sequester cuts.

The weeklong show, July 27-Aug. 4, has run since 1953 and boasts around 500,000 attendees from 60 countries. Ford's custom Mustangs raise money for the the EAA Young Eagles program, which provides free flights for kids who might one day join the aviation industry. 

Past Mustangs have sold for between $250,000 to $500,000 at the charity auction since Ford began sponsoring the event in 2008, with all proceeds going to the Young Eagles. Last year's Red Tails Mustang sold for $370,000 and was matched to the Tuskegee Airmen's famous silver-and-red P-51 Mustangs.

autos.msn.com