Red Bull's Fighter Jet Wows the Crowd at the Indy Air Show

NOT JUST AN ENERGY DRINK

When one thinks of Red Bull, one envisions kids cruising down the street together in an old beater that barely runs. Music thumps loudly and the kids shout to hear each other over the din. Every few moments they'll raise a slim silver can to their lips and chug away.

Elsewhere you'll find kids with baggy pants and skateboards. They'll slurp down a few silver-canned salvos before taking on a set of stairs. Or (heaven forbid) they'll alight a nearby metal hand railing and slide down in a balancing act that will either leave their friends green with envy or (more likely) have them walking away in a painful crouch, wondering whether they'll be able to father any children later.

These are fast times and loads of youthful fun, à la Red Bull.

So... How's about a cold-war-era Russian fighter jet?

Huh?

AT THE AIR RACES

Last weekend (August 25-26, 2007), I got to see some great action at the Indianapolis Air Show at Mount Comfort Airpark.

The show featured some great action starring some stunning old warbirds from World War II, including an old Nazi-era Junkers Ju-52 tri-motor transport, a B-24 Liberator bomber and two F-4U Corsair fighters of Black Sheep Squadron fame.

Bombers are great. They're big and impressive, like a giant flying vulture in the sky. But everyone knows old lumbering bombers are no comparison to fighter planes for speed and thrills. So take a fighter plane - even a jet fighter - and paint it bright red. The effect: a Ferrari Testarossa with wings.
Such a jet fighter exists, and it's now a Red Bull icon: a Miyokan-Gurevich MiG-17F fighter jet straight out the cold war.

LOOKING LIKE IT CHUGGED SOME RED BULL!

This baby was there. I saw it. And it was hot! (enlarge the accompanying IMAGES). Shiny firecracker red paint, swept wings, complete with the Red Bull logo and a red Russian star.

While I was there this bird didn't take to the air, but it bristled with power just sitting there on the runway tarmac. Other friends of mine got to see it fly later, and they said it was the highlight of their air show experience - swooping low with a distinctive howling engine and tell-tale jet exhaust. A real crowd pleaser!