One-Off F-22 Raptor Raises $300,000 For Young Pilots

“Few things are as streamlined, as gloriously intimidating as the shape, metallic color and sinister speed a fighter jet represents,” Ford design manager Melvin Betancourt said. “The simple, extreme functionality of the cockpit alone proved inspiring, prompting the team to create matte finishes, purposeful gauges, controls for ready proximity and dramatic LED lighting for the instrument panel.”

Our long-standing commitment to Young Eagles encourages new talent to enter the world of flight. — Todd Eckert, Ford

As we recently shared with you, Ford partnered with the Experimental Aircraft Association to create a one-of-a-kind F-150 Raptor inspired by the Lockheed Martin F-22 fighter plane. This truck hit the auction block at the annual AirVenture Oshkosh on July 30, 2017 benefitting the Young Eagles program, which offers flight training to young people.

“Our long-standing commitment to Young Eagles encourages new talent to enter the world of flight, while highlighting the freedom, power, speed and agility shared by the Ford F-150 Raptor and the F-22 Raptor fighter jet,” Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager, said.

Gary Ackerman of Gaudin Ford in Las Vegas, Nevada, won the auction for the one-off F-150 Raptor, which raised $300,000 for the EAA Young Eagles program.

F-22 F-150 Raptor Mods

• Whipple-intercooled, high-output 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost making 545 horsepower and 660 lb.-ft. of torque

• Modified Addictive Desert Design front suspension and bump stop kit

• Deaver rear spring pack to provide a smooth, progressive suspension

• Fox bypass series shocks with adjustable compression and rebound valving to customize damping for on-road and off-road use

• Innov8 Racing custom forged beadlock wheels with Falcon Wildpeak tires

• Upgraded Alcon six-piston painted calipers, oversized rotors, high-friction pads

• Modular off-road 1.3-million candela LED lighting system by KC Hilites

• Kicker audio system with 1,500 watts of amplification

• Unique Sherwin-Williams exterior paint integrating F-22 Raptor jet cues including titanium grille with front silhouette of the aircraft; jet cues featured on the interior as well

• Amp Research power retracting steps

• DeBerti two-tire, gas and ProEagle jack holder

LineX sprayed bedliner

• All-stainless-steel cat-back Borla exhaust system with carbon fiber tips

• DeBerti carbon fiber fender flares, hood and fender vents

• Paint hand-cut and polished to a mirror finish by Independent Detail

Over the years, Ford has helped raise over $3 million for this program, and this year’s auction added $300,000 to that tally thanks to Gary Ackerman of Gaudin Ford in Las Vegas, Nevada, who won the auction. It was definitely appropriate, as he also serves as Honorary Commander/Ambassador for the United States Airforce’s F-22 Squadron at Nellis Airforce Base in Nevada.

“Ford has helped build unmatched pathways for young people to discover the world of flight through its support of our Young Eagles, our youth programs and AirVenture,” Jack Pelton, CEO and chairman, Experimental Aircraft Association, said. “With its powerful F-150 Raptor donation inspired by aviation, Ford continues to excite with its specialty vehicles, which reflect the depth of its commitment to the Experimental Aircraft Association, its members and the future of flight.”

The truck was definitely powerful as it was upgraded with a Whipple intercooler and more, resulting in an output of 545 horsepower and 660 lb-ft of torque.

“Our job — both in the air and on the ground — is to intimidate the competition,” Ford design manager Melvin Betancourt added. “The money we raised will enable Young Eagles to reach for the skies as well.”