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The U-2 spy plane needs high-performance cars to help land

Typically, aircraft deploy their landing gear from three main points. Most military aircraft, for example, deploy two gears at the back and one forward, like a tricycle. Some civilian aircraft flip the layout, with two in front and one in back - tail-draggers. The U-2 Dragon Lady is wildly different than any of these. With a 103-foot wingspan but a body that's just 63-feet long, the layout of the U-2 makes a traditional landing setup infeasible. Instead, the U-2 utilizes a pair of wheels, one up front and one in back. With such a bizarre layout, landings are so tough that since the U-2's earliest flights at Area 51, the US Air Force has used high-performance chase cars to guide the pilot down safely. The landing process isn't over there, though. As this video from Sploid shows, balancing out the aircraft to fit the detachable "pogos" – think training wheels for spy planes – is a comical procedure requiring a number of airman using their full body weight to even out the U-2. This video also recaps some of the great vehicles that have served as chase vehicles for this legendary spy plane. They include Chevrolet El Caminos, and the Fox-body Ford Mustangs so favored by the California Highway Patrol. For the last several years, the USAF has utilized products from General Motors, using fourth-generation Chevy Camaros, before switching over to the Pontiac GTO and most recently, the awesome Pontiac G8. It's fair to say that if you're a gearhead in the Air Force, this is the job you want. Check out the video, embedded up top. News Source: Sploid via YouTubeImage Credit: Sploid Chevrolet Ford GM Pontiac Military Performance Videos

Ford vandalizes the SEMA Show floor with 2014 Transit Connect

The Ford booth here at SEMA is practically a 1970s throwback with all these customized vans sitting front and center. And we're completely fine with that. Take the black and yellow (black and yellow, black and yellow) 2014 Transit Connect from Mobsteel above. It's got a great stance, sits on steel wheels and has a pretty cool paint job and graphics package to boot.
Of course, that's not the only van you can see at the Ford booth. In fact, there are 10 Transit Connect vans on display from Ford here at SEMA, and you can see them all in our live gallery of high-res images above. Then, if you want to know more about each specific model, feel free to scroll down to read all about these vans in the official press release from Ford.

2020 Harley-Davidson GMC Sierra brings the iconic brand to a new truck

The Harley-Davidson Ford F-150 rides alone no longer. Thanks to the Tuscany Motor Company, it now has a fellow truck associate to cruise with side-by-side on the open roads. Introducing the 2020 Harley-Davidson GMC Sierra, which will make its official debut at the 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. For years, a Harley-Davidson special edition package has been associated with the Ford F-150 nameplate. Although Ford does not offer a direct option from the factory, Tuscany Motor Company answered the demand and now builds truck packages that carry the famous American motorcycle name. With the direction of Harley-Davidson, Tuscany creates interior and exterior customizations that reflect notable and iconic features of the bikes. This year is the first time Tuscany has ever offered a Harley-Davidson package on a GMC Sierra, and as expected, it's pretty similar to the one offered on the F-150. The package includes at least 60 exclusive parts, and the Sierra is available in Onxy Black, Summit White, or Satin Steel Metallic.  Setting the tone are Fatboy-inspired 22-inch milled aluminum wheels wrapped in chunky 35-inch all-terrain tires. As Tuscany is a division of Fox performance parts, the truck rides on a specially designed BDS suspension with tuned Fox shocks and lateral stability bars. The truck also has a redesigned front bumper and grille with an integrated LED light bar for off-roading, power running boards with rock guard trim and entry lights, color-matched Harley-Davidson-designed fender flares, custom front fender vents with the Harley logo, an induction-style hood, a redesigned rear bumper, and a tuned exhaust with billet tips. More badging, tailgate cladding, a windshield header, orange tow hooks, and a bed rug add extra pizzazz. Finally, for all the planes, drones, and aliens who are eyeing pickups from the sky, the tonneau cover is debossed with the Harley-Davidson logo.  Inside, the fan pack includes leather seating with orange diamond stitching, and piano black door panels, console, and trim. Harley-Davidson badging and branding is on the seats, on the center console, on the floor mats, the door sill inserts, the instrument gauges, and even the pedals.  If this is up your alley, and you're interested in buying, the Sierras, no matter the color, start at $94,995 before taxes and fees. For more information, visit Tuscany. Related Video: