That thing with the eagle painted on the side is the North American Eagle LSR vehicle. It’s housed about a mile from me. The body is that of an F-104 with the wings removed. The vehicle istelf ...while it was still a plane...has a very interesting history. Gen. Chuck Yeager actually flew in it way back when. The paint job was done by students in the bodywork and auto paint program at Bates Technical College in Tacoma. My wife was privileged to sit in the cockpit.
They are still tweaking it and may make an LSR attempt this year. They do expect to top the current record, even if only until the BloodhoundSSC totally shatters the record sometime this or next year.
I met and had a little chat-up with Craig Breedlove in Sacramento
once. In 1979 I was one of NHRA funny car star Ron Capps’ high
school freshman football coaches and I am acquainted with
Gen Chuck Yeager who is a member of the same sportsmens
(gun) club as I. Rubbing shoulders with those speed demons makes
me wonder why I am still the slowest slug in the garden.
An interesting story.
Thank you.